01
reinkommen
to come in
Colloquial for 'hereinkommen' (to come in); to enter a room or building.
example
Komm rein, die Tür ist offen!
Come in, the door is open!
reinkommen
to come in
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure and register
The word is colloquial. The prefix 'rein-' is a short, informal form of 'herein-'. It expresses movement into a room or area.
EXAMPLE
Sollen wir schon reingehen oder noch draußen warten?
Should we go in already or wait outside a bit longer?
Separable verb
'Reinkommen' (to come in) is a separable verb. In a main clause, the prefix 'rein' goes at the end. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Er kam leise ins Zimmer rein.
He came quietly into the room.
Perfect tense with 'sein'
The perfect tense of 'reinkommen' (to come in) is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' because it describes movement or a change of state.
EXAMPLE
Bist du gestern gut nach Hause reingekommen?
Did you get home okay yesterday?
Context clue
In this meaning, it is about abstract things becoming part of a selection or program. Typical contexts are exams, tests, topic lists, or competitions.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe Glück, mein schlechtestes Thema ist nicht in die Prüfung reingekommen.
I'm lucky, my worst topic didn't come up in the exam.
Context clue
When it is about money, the subject of the sentence is often 'Geld' (money), 'Gehalt' (salary), or 'eine Zahlung' (a payment). It describes the moment when the money arrives in an account.
EXAMPLE
Ich kann das Auto erst kaufen, wenn das Geld von der Versicherung reinkommt.
I can only buy the car once the money from the insurance company comes in.
Compare with
reinkommen vs vorkommen
to occur / seem
'vorkommen' and 'reinkommen' can both be used when something plays a role in a test, a selection, or a plan. 'vorkommen' then means that a topic or task is included there or comes up. 'reinkommen' is more colloquial and emphasizes more that something is included in a selection. At school, for example, you would say: 'Das Thema kommt in der Prüfung vor.' (The topic comes up in the exam.) Colloquially, you can also say: 'Das Thema kommt in die Prüfung rein.' (The topic gets included in the exam.) Learners may confuse the words because both are formed with 'kommen'. 'vorkommen' sounds more neutral and fits more situations; 'reinkommen' is more casual and not suitable in every formal text.
reinkommen
Der Lehrer sagt, dass dieses Kapitel wahrscheinlich nicht in den Test reinkommt.
The teacher says that this chapter probably won't come up in the test.
vorkommen
In der Prüfung kommen auch Fragen zur Grammatik vor.
The exam also includes questions on grammar.
In real life
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