komma (to come) | Swedish Grammar

komma means "to come," but it is one of the busiest verbs in Swedish. Beyond plain motion, komma builds the most common future construction (kommer att + infinitive) and serves as the base for a cluster of high-frequency particle verbs whose meanings you cannot guess from "come" alone — komma ihåg ("remember"), komma på ("think of"), komma fram ("arrive"). One verb, then, is also a future marker and an idiom hub. Watch the spelling: double m in most forms, but a single m in the bare past kom.

Principal parts

Infinitive	Present	Preteritum (past)	Supine	Imperative	Group
komma	kommer	kom	kommit	kom	strong

komma is a strong verb (the o → o / a pattern of motion verbs). Note the spelling rhythm: komma, kommer, kommit all have a double m between two vowels, but the past kom and the imperative kom end in a single m after the vowel. This single/double m alternation follows the general Swedish rule that a consonant doubles between vowels but stays single word-finally.

Jag kommer om fem minuter.

I'm coming in five minutes. kommer — present, double m.

Han kom för sent till mötet.

He came late to the meeting. kom — past, single m.

Tåget har just kommit.

The train has just arrived. kommit — supine, double m, after har.

Use 1: come — motion toward a point

The literal meaning is movement toward the speaker or toward a reference point — "come (here / there)."

Kom hit och titta på det här!

Come here and look at this! kom — imperative.

Kommer du på festen i kväll?

Are you coming to the party tonight? kommer in a present-for-near-future use.

Varifrån kommer du?

Where are you from? komma ifrån / varifrån — 'come from', origin.

Use 2: the future — kommer att + infinitive

The most common neutral future in Swedish is kommer att + infinitive ("is going to / will"). The little word att is obligatory in careful writing — omitting it is a frequent error — though it is often swallowed in fast speech.

Det kommer att regna i morgon.

It's going to rain tomorrow. kommer att + infinitive — the standard future.

Vi kommer att sakna dig.

We're going to miss you. att is required before the infinitive.

Tror du att de kommer att vinna?

Do you think they'll win? Future inside an embedded clause.

💡

The future kommer att + infinitive is the same verb komma doing grammatical work. In writing the att is obligatory — Det kommer att regna, not *Det kommer regna — even though speakers often drop it. Keep it in when you write.

Use 3: particle verbs and idioms

komma combines with stressed particles to make verbs whose meanings have drifted far from "come." These are everyday vocabulary, not advanced idioms, and must be learned as wholes.

Jag kommer inte ihåg hans namn.

I can't remember his name. komma ihåg = 'remember' — the particle ihåg carries the meaning.

Nu kom jag på vad hon hette!

Now I've remembered what she was called! komma på = 'think of / come up with / suddenly recall'.

Ring mig när du kommer fram.

Call me when you arrive. komma fram = 'arrive / get there'.

Hur kom det sig att ni flyttade?

How come you moved? komma sig (av) = 'come about'.

A few more belong to the everyday core: komma överens ("agree / get along"), komma åt ("reach / get at"), komma igång ("get going / get started").

Vi kom överens om att dela på notan.

We agreed to split the bill. komma överens (om) = 'reach an agreement'.

Jag kommer inte åt boken högst upp.

I can't reach the book on the top shelf. komma åt = 'reach / get at'.

Note the word order: in a main clause the particle follows the subject and any inte — jag kommer inte ihåg ("I don't remember"), with the particle ihåg sitting at the end. The particle is stressed and never separates from its core meaning, so learn each komma-combination as a single vocabulary item.

Use 4: komma till — reaching or amounting to

komma till covers "get to / reach" a place and, idiomatically, things coming into being or coming to a point.

När kommer vi till Stockholm?

When do we get to Stockholm? komma till + a destination.

Avtalet kom äntligen till stånd.

The deal finally came about. komma till stånd = 'come about / materialize' — the fixed 'come to a point' sense.

Common Mistakes

❌ Det kommer regna i morgon.

Incorrect in writing — the future needs att: kommer att regna.

✅ Det kommer att regna i morgon.

It's going to rain tomorrow.

❌ Jag kommer ihåg inte hans namn.

Word order — inte comes before the particle: kommer inte ihåg.

✅ Jag kommer inte ihåg hans namn.

I can't remember his name.

❌ Han komm för sent.

Spelling — the bare past is kom, single m. The double m is only between vowels (komma, kommer).

✅ Han kom för sent.

He came late.

❌ Jag remembrar inte. / Jag kommer att komma ihåg. (over-literal)

'Remember' is the fixed particle verb komma ihåg, not a separate verb or a literal calque.

✅ Jag kommer inte ihåg.

I don't remember.

❌ Vi har komm hem.

Spelling — the supine is kommit, double m.

✅ Vi har kommit hem.

We've come home.

💡

Think of komma as one verb wearing three hats: plain motion (Jag kommer snart), the everyday future kommer att + infinitive, and an idiom hub for particle verbs — komma ihåg (remember), komma på (think of), komma fram (arrive). And mind the m: double in komma/kommer/kommit, single in kom.

Now practice Swedish

Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.

Start learning Swedish→