友達のテキストに「coming?」とあった。なぜgoingじゃないのか。

Here's something that trips up a lot of people: in English, come and go aren't really about moving left or right, forward or backward. They're about where you are standing — in your mind.

Think about this situation. Your friend texts you: "Are you coming to the party tonight?" Notice they said coming, not going. Why? Because your friend is already at the party — or at least, they're thinking from that location. They're pulling you toward them. But if a third person asks you the same question, they'd probably say, "Are you going to the party?" Same party. Different word. The speaker's mental position changed everything.

This is the part that feels a little mind-bending at first. In Japanese, the physical direction of movement usually decides the word. But in American English, it's more about point of view. The speaker pictures themselves at the destination, and that changes the word they choose.

Here's a classic example. Your mom calls from the kitchen: "Dinner's ready!" You shout back, "I'm coming!" — not "I'm going!" You're moving toward her, so you match up with her location in your head. It feels natural once you get the hang of it.

One more thing worth knowing: Americans often use come over for casual visits. "Hey, come over sometime!" means "visit my place." It's warm, relaxed, and very everyday. If someone says this to you, take them up on it — it's a genuine invite.

So next time you're not sure which word to use, just ask yourself: where am I standing in this story? That one question will get you pretty far.