去
to go; go to
qù
What does 去 mean?
去 (qù) is the basic Chinese verb 'to go' — movement AWAY from where the speaker is. Its partner is 来 (lái, 'to come') — movement TOWARD the speaker. Unlike English 'go,' Chinese 去 takes its destination directly without a preposition: 去北京 (go to Beijing), 去学校 (go to school), 去医院 (go to the hospital) — there is no 到 or 'to.' 去 also functions as a directional verb after another action verb to show going somewhere to do something: 我去吃饭 (I'm going to eat), 去买东西 (go shop). Past form: 去了 (went). Negate completed past with 没去 (didn't go); negate future / habitual with 不去 (won't go / don't go).
Character breakdown
to go; leave; remove
Memory hook: 去 has 土 (earth) on top — picture your feet leaving the ground as you head out the door.
Example sentences
我去学校。
Wǒ qù xuéxiào.
I'm going to school.
spoken
你去哪儿？
Nǐ qù nǎr?
Where are you going?
spoken
明天我们去中国。
Míngtiān wǒmen qù Zhōngguó.
Tomorrow we're going to China.
neutral
他昨天没去上班。
Tā zuótiān méi qù shàngbān.
He didn't go to work yesterday.
spoken
Common phrases with 去
Synonyms
前往 means 'head to / proceed to' — formal, written, used in news and official announcements (前往机场, 'head to the airport'). Never use it in everyday speech.
Don't confuse 去 with
Here 去 means 'past / gone' — 去年 = last year (the year that has gone). Different sense from the 'go' verb.
走 emphasizes the act of walking / leaving; 去 emphasizes the destination. 我走了 = 'I'm leaving' (focus on departing); 我去学校 = 'I'm going to school' (focus on where to).