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Questions & Answers about Kom eens hier!
Why does the sentence start with the verb Kom?
Because it's a command! In Dutch, just like in English, when you tell someone to do something, you drop the subject (the "you") and put the verb at the very beginning of the sentence. Kom is the basic stem of the verb komen (to come).
My dictionary says eens means "once". Why is it translated as "would you"?
In commands, eens is used as a softening word. Without it, Kom hier! sounds very direct and strict, like a command you'd give a dog. Adding eens makes it sound much friendlier and more relaxed, similar to saying "Just come here" or "Come here, would you?" in English.
If I want to be more formal, should I add the polite "you" (u)?
You can, but the grammar changes a bit. If you want to use the formal u, you must add a -t to the verb and include the pronoun: Komt u eens hier!. For casual situations with friends or family, just using Kom with the softener eens is perfectly polite.
Can I change the word order to Kom hier eens!?
Yes, absolutely! Kom hier eens! is also perfectly natural Dutch and means the exact same thing. Small filler words like eens are quite flexible and can often be placed after the location.