Japanese いく (iku): go

The idea

This is a godan verb: く becomes きます. Its て form is exceptional: いって, not いいて. The polite negative ends in ません and the past in ました. Mark a destination with に or へ, the means of transport with で, and a purpose such as たべに before the verb.

Examples

• 明日あした、学校がっこうに行いきます。I am going to school tomorrow.
• 日曜日にちようびは会社かいしゃに行いきません。I do not go to the office on Sundays.
• 昨日きのう、友達ともだちと図書館としょかんへ行いきました。Yesterday I went to the library with a friend.
• 駅えきまで歩あるいて行いきます。I walk to the station.
• 電車でんしゃで東京とうきょうに行いきます。I go to Tokyo by train.
• 昼ひるにご飯はんを食たべに行いきます。I am going to eat lunch at noon.

Watch out

The て form is いって, not the regular-looking いいて. Choose いく for movement away from the reference point; くる looks toward it.

Try it yourself

1. あした、学校がっこうに＿。（行いく→ます）

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   行きます

   行いきます is the polite non-past of 行いく; context tells whether it refers to a habit or the future.

2. 駅えきへ＿ください。（行いく→て）

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   行って

   行いって is the て form of 行いく. Before ください it forms a polite request.

3. あした学校がっこう＿行いきます。（に／を）

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   に

   に marks the destination of the movement; を is not the destination marker here.

Use it today

Say where you will go tomorrow, how you will travel, and what you will go there to do. Check the particles and verb forms against the examples.