How to say “to go” in Japanese

行く

いくiku

verb (group 1, う-verb)JLPT N5Everyday verbs

The short answer

“To go” in Japanese is 行く (いく), pronounced iku.

Pronunciation

The word has 2 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:

How to use it

To go. Its て-form is irregular: 行って, not いいて. The destination takes に or へ.

Example sentences

明日東京に行きます。あしたとうきょうにいきます。
I’m going to Tokyo tomorrow.
一緒に行きませんか。いっしょにいきませんか。
Would you like to come along?

Conjugation

The most useful forms of 行く. The rules are explained in Japanese verbs: the ます form.

Form	Japanese	Meaning
Dictionary (plain)	行くいく	go
Polite present	行きますいきます	go
Polite negative	行きませんいきません	don’t go
Polite past	行きましたいきました	past of “go”
Plain negative (ない)	行かないいかない	don’t go (casual)
Plain past (た)	行ったいった	past of “go” (casual)
て-form	行っていって	go and… / please go (+ください)
Want to (たい)	行きたいいきたい	want to go

Quick practice

Test yourself0/3

What does {{行く}} mean?
How do you read {{行く}}?
Which word means “to go home”?

来るto come 帰るto go home 見るto see 聞くto listen 読むto read 書くto write 話すto speak 言うto say

FAQ

How do you say to go in Japanese?

To go in Japanese is 行く (いく), pronounced “iku”.

How do you write to go in Japanese?

It's written 行く with kanji, or いく in hiragana. Both are read iku.

Is 行く on the JLPT?

Yes. 行く (iku) is a common word at JLPT N5 level, so it's worth learning early.