去

• Pinyin: qù
• Hanzi breakdown: 去 = 土 (earth, top) + 厶 (private, bottom), originally depicting a person departing

Meaning

To go; to leave for. One of the most fundamental verbs of movement.

The basic verb for going to a destination, opposite of 来 (to come). Can be used alone or followed by a destination. Also used as a complement after other verbs to indicate movement away from the speaker, such as 走去 (walk away), 跑去 (run away). Common in phrases like 去年 (last year).

Examples

1. 你去哪里？ Where are you going?
2. 我要去学校。 I'm going to school.
3. 他昨天去北京了。 He went to Beijing yesterday.

Usage Guide

Context: movement, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们去吃饭吧。(Let's go eat.)
• 你什么时候去？(When are you going?)

Don't Say

• 我去到了学校。(Redundant — say 我到了学校 or 我去了学校, don't combine 去 and 到 together like this)

Origin & History

An ancient pictograph showing a person leaving through a doorway, representing departure.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal