How do you say "to go" in Japanese?

行く

iku

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "to go" is 行く (iku).

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Pronunciation

行く is written using kanji. Romanised as iku, it sounds roughly like "ee-koo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Iku (行く) is the most basic direction verb in Japanese. It pairs with particles to specify destinations or movement across space.

Example sentence

私は毎日行きます。

Watashi wa mainichi ikimasu.

I to go every day.

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How to remember 行く

Iku contains the go kanji. It is one of the first verbs children learn because movement is one of their first actions.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese verbs.

Questions about 行く

How do you pronounce 行く?

行く is romanised as iku. Say it roughly like "ee-koo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 行く formal or casual?

行く is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 行く written in Japanese?

行く is written using kanji. Iku (行く) is the most basic direction verb in Japanese.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"To go" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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