Come across sb Meaning, Examples & How to Use This Phrasal Verb

What Does “Come across sb” Mean?

“Come across sb” means to meet or find someone by chance, without planning to see them.

Introduction

The phrase “come across sb” is a common English phrasal verb used when you unexpectedly meet or find someone. The “sb” here stands for “somebody.” Understanding the come across sb meaning helps learners describe surprising or accidental encounters with people. This phrase is informal and often used in daily conversations. Knowing how to use it correctly can improve your speaking and writing skills, making your English sound more natural and fluent. This guide explains the meaning, usage, examples, and common mistakes related to “come across sb.”

Quick Info Box

• Phrasal verb: come across somebody
• Type: Intransitive
• Level: B1 (Intermediate)
• Short meaning: meet or find someone unexpectedly

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Come across sb” is an inseparable phrasal verb, which means you cannot put an object between “come” and “across.”

Correct pattern: come across somebody

Incorrect pattern: come somebody across

How to Use “Come across sb”?

Use “come across sb” when you want to say you met or found someone by chance. It is mostly used in informal speech and writing. You can use it in the past tense (“came across”), present tense (“come across”), or future tense (“will come across”).

Example: “I came across an old friend at the supermarket yesterday.”

Examples

• I came across my teacher while walking in the park.
• She often comes across interesting people at her job.
• We came across a stranger who needed help.
• Have you ever come across someone famous in your city?
• He came across his childhood friend after many years.

Common Mistakes

• Incorrect: I came my friend across at the mall.
• Correct: I came across my friend at the mall.
• Incorrect: She comes across someone every day at work.
• Correct: She comes across someone every day at work.

Differences / Synonyms

“Come across sb” is similar in meaning to “run into sb” and “bump into sb.” All three mean to meet someone unexpectedly. However, “come across” can also mean to find or discover something unintentionally, while “run into” and “bump into” usually refer only to people.

Example:

• I came across an old book in the attic. (discovered)
• I ran into my friend at the cafe. (met unexpectedly)

Common Collocations

• come across a friend
• come across someone
• come across a stranger
• come across a teacher
• come across an acquaintance

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of come across sb:

• Come On To Sth
• Come Under Sth
• Come Over To Sth
• Come Up For Sth
• Come Between Sb And Sb

Real-life Dialogue

Anna: Guess who I came across yesterday at the mall?

Ben: Who?

Anna: My old school friend, Sarah! We hadn’t seen each other in years.

Ben: That’s amazing! It’s funny how you can come across people when you least expect it.

Practice

Choose the correct sentence:

• a) I came across my neighbor in the park.
• b) I came my neighbor across in the park.
• c) I come my neighbor across in the park.

Answer: a) I came across my neighbor in the park.

FAQs

• Q: Can “come across sb” be used in formal writing?
  A: It is mostly informal but can be used in less formal writing.
• Q: What does “sb” mean?
  A: “sb” is short for “somebody.”
• Q: Is “come across sb” separable?
  A: No, it is inseparable.
• Q: Can “come across” mean finding objects?
  A: Yes, it can mean finding things unexpectedly.
• Q: What is the past tense of “come across”?
  A: The past tense is “came across.”