What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 出 (chū), meaning "to go out/exit" and 去 (qù), meaning "to go (away from the speaker)".
Which one should you use?
While 出去 directs someone to move away from the speaker's current location, 出来 directs someone to move toward the speaker's current location.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a much more polite and formal tone, you should use 请离开 (Qǐng líkāi), which means "please leave". Conversely, if you wish to be informal or rude, you can use 滚 (Gǔn) to mean "get out" or "go away", 滚开 (Gǔn kāi) to mean "get lost" or the aggressive phrase 滚出去, which adds the word for "roll" to make the command insulting.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the aspect particle 了 (le) after 出去 changes the meaning from a command to a description of a completed action, such as "has gone out".
How do you pronounce it?
chūqù
Did you know?
- Because Mandarin uses directional complements, 出去 is physically tied to the speaker's position. If the speaker is already outside, they cannot use 出去 to tell someone to leave the building.
- While 出去 is a standard command, the aggressive alternative 滚 literally means 'to roll'. It evokes the image of a person rolling away like a ball or a piece of trash.
- In Chinese cinema and TV dramas, the word 滚 is a classic trope used by authoritative figures or angry lovers to signal a dramatic turning point in a scene.
Examples in context
- 给我滚出去！Get out of here!This example shows how to use 出去 in a very aggressive or angry command.Tatoeba #10084006 by ColawithIce, translation #2263343 by Hybrid
- 我告诉过你出去。I told you to get out.This example demonstrates using 出去 to report a command given to someone.Tatoeba #5911760 by verdastelo9604, translation #5889784 by Hybrid
- 我们该怎么从这里出去。How do we get out of here?This example illustrates using 出去 to ask a question about how to exit a place.Tatoeba #4845014 by pig8322, translation #1672463 by CK
- 请离开会议室。(Qǐng líkāi huìyìshì.)Please leave the meeting room.
- 滚开，不要打扰我。(Gǔn kāi, bùyào dǎrǎo wǒ.)Get lost, don't disturb me.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A heated argument in a living room.
- 雨婷 Yuting你现在立刻出去！Nǐ xiànzài lìkè chūqù!Get out of here right now!
- 浩然 Haoran我也没想留在这里。Wǒ yě méi xiǎng liú zài zhèlǐ.I didn't want to stay here either.
- 雨婷 Yuting既然这样，快出去吧。Jìrán zhèyàng, kuài chūqù ba.Since that's the case, just get out.
- 浩然 Haoran好，我走了。Hǎo, wǒ zǒu le.Fine, I'm leaving.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
