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行く
iku
go
私は毎日学校に行きます。
I go to school every day.
formal
to go (to a place); to move toward a destination
彼は駅に行きました。
He went to the station.
彼女は病院に行っています。
She is going to the hospital.
行く is the most common verb for 'to go' in Japanese, used for physical movement toward a destination. It can also imply 'to proceed' or 'to attend' in certain contexts.
formal
to proceed; to continue (with an action)
会議は予定通りに行きます。
The meeting will proceed as scheduled.
In this sense, 行く describes the smooth continuation of an action or event.
formal
to pass; to elapse (time)
時間が行ってしまいました。
Time has passed.
This usage is less common but still valid, especially in expressions about time.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Conjugation Tip
Remember that 行く conjugates as a regular u-verb (五段動詞). The te-form is 行って (itte), which is crucial for forming polite requests (e.g., 行ってください).
Gold Rule
Direction Particle Rule
Use に after 行く to indicate the destination (e.g., 図書館に行く 'to go to the library'). For activities, use に or を depending on context (e.g., 映画を見に行く 'to go see a movie').
Word Origin
From Old Japanese *iku*, cognate with Old Korean *ika* and Middle Chinese 去 (qù, 'to go'). The verb has remained stable in meaning since ancient times.
Usage Notes
行く is a u-verb (五段動詞) with the base form 行く (iku), te-form 行って (itte), and past tense 行った (itta). It is often paired with に to indicate direction (e.g., 学校に行く). In casual speech, いく (iku) is sometimes pronounced as いっく (ikku).
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