가다
gada[ka̠da̠]
To say go in Korean, meaning to move from one place to another, use 가다 (gada).
가다 is the basic verb for going somewhere, used for trips, errands and leaving.
Meaning: to move through space (especially from one place to another) (verb)
Which one should you use?
Korean separates 가다, moving away from the speaker, from 오다, moving toward the speaker. 이동하세요 is a formal way to tell someone to move to a different location. 갈게 is a casual way to say I'm going now when you leave.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In everyday polite speech 가다 becomes 가요. The past tense is 갔다. 가자 means let's go and is used with people of equal or lower status.
How do you pronounce it?
It is written in Latin letters as gada.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 가다 for coming toward the person you are talking to. Use 오다 for that.
Did you know?
- In Korea, people often use 가다 to say 'I'm hanging up' when ending a phone call, such as 제가 먼저 갈게요 meaning 'I will go first'.
- Depending on the context, 가다 can be a euphemism for dying, implying that a person has 'gone' to another world.
- The word 가다 was recorded as early as 1447 in the Yongbi eocheon'ga, one of the first works written in the Korean alphabet.
Examples in context
- 가자!Let's go!가자 is the casual form meaning let's go.
- 거기에 가세요Please go there.
- 다음 방으로 이동하세요Please go to the next room.
- 나 갈게I'm going now.
- 저는 한국에 여행하러 갈 거예요I will go to Korea for a trip.
- 친구들과 공원에 가자Let's go to the park with friends.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Minjun are deciding to leave for the library.
- 서연 Seo-yeon민준 씨, 이제 도서관에 가다.Minjun ssi, ije doseogwane gada.Minjun, it is time to go to the library.
- 민준 Min-jun네, 지금 바로 가요.ne, jigeum baro gayo.Yes, I am going right now.
- 서연 Seo-yeon천천히 가다.cheoncheonhi gada.Go slowly.
- 민준 Min-jun알겠어요, 서연 씨.algesseoyo, Seoyeon ssi.I understand, Seoyeon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “go” translations and entries 가다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 가다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
