てきた　grammar form


Can you explain me the difference between these two sentences :

> 誰かが電話した。

> 誰かが電話して来た。




In English, the difference is like this:

  * 誰かが電話した = "Someone made a phone call".
  * 誰かが電話してきた = "Someone called me" or "Someone called us".

In other words, the latter signifies the call was towards me (or us).

(-て)きた is the past form of (-て)くる, which is one of the Japanese subsidiary
verbs. It expresses the associated action "comes towards the observer
(physically or psychologically)". English speakers prefer personal pronouns
like "I" or "me", but Japanese prefers this type of expressions to express the
"direction" of an action. You have to get used to this.

See also:

  * [What is a subsidiary verb?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/18952/5010)
  * [Difference between -ていく and -てくる](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/676/5010)




In English, the difference is like this:

  * 誰かが電話した = "Someone made a phone call".
  * 誰かが電話してきた = "Someone called me" or "Someone called us".

In other words, the latter signifies the call was towards me (or us).

(-て)きた is the past form of (-て)くる, which is one of the Japanese subsidiary
verbs. It expresses the associated action "comes towards the observer
(physically or psychologically)". English speakers prefer personal pronouns
like "I" or "me", but Japanese prefers this type of expressions to express the
"direction" of an action. You have to get used to this.

See also:

  * [What is a subsidiary verb?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/18952/5010)
  * [Difference between -ていく and -てくる](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/676/5010)

