去
qù
In Mandarin, 'go' is expressed as 去 (qù).
去 is used to describe moving through space, specifically moving from one place to another. When using this verb to indicate a destination, you do not need a preposition like 'to'. You simply place the destination immediately after 去 (for example, 去 [Place]).
Meaning: to move through space (especially from one place to another) (verb)
Which one should you use?
去 is used when the movement is directed away from the speaker's current location. This contrasts with 来, which is used when movement is toward the speaker.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate that the action of going has been completed, you can add the particle 了 after the verb to form 去了 (went). To express intention or a future necessity to go, place the word 要 before the verb to form 要去 (want to go / will go).
How do you pronounce it?
qù
Did you know?
- One historical interpretation suggests the character was a graphic representation of an 'anus', used to convey the idea of 'getting rid of' something or someone.
- In Mandarin, you can use 去 to express that you are removing a specific part of something, such as removing the peel from a fruit.
- The meaning 'to go' is closely linked to the meaning 'to eliminate' or 'to remove' in the history of the word 去.
Examples in context
- 她特别想去。She so wants to go.This sentence shows how to express a strong desire to go using 去.Tatoeba #2052497 by sadhen, translation #311774 by CM
- 我想去学校。I want to go to school.This sentence demonstrates the pattern of placing a destination immediately after 去.Tatoeba #2782523 by GlossaMatik, translation #2714993 by CK
- 爸爸去哪了?Where did dad go?This sentence uses 去 to ask about someone's whereabouts.Tatoeba #3147854 by cienias, translation #318877 by minshirui
- 我要前往北京I'm going to Beijing
- 我们明天出发去上海We're departing for Shanghai tomorrow
- 我喜欢步行去公园I like to walk to the park
- 我要去商店买东西I want to go to the store to buy things
- 咱们走吧Let's go
- 我想出去玩I want to go out and play
- 请上楼Please go upstairs
- 他们将前往会议室 (Tāmen jiāng qiánwǎng huìyìshì)They will go to the meeting room
- 我们一起去吃晚饭 (Wǒmen yīqǐ qù chī wǎnfàn)Let's go together for dinner
- 1110 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are planning their afternoon activities.
- 浩然 Haoran欣怡，你想去哪里？Xīnyí, nǐ xiǎng qù nǎlǐ?Xinyi, where do you want to go?
- 欣怡 Xinyi我想去书店。Wǒ xiǎng qù shūdiàn.I want to go to the bookstore.
- 浩然 Haoran好，那我们现在去吧。Hǎo, nà wǒmen xiànzài qù ba.Okay, let's go now then.
- 欣怡 Xinyi浩然，走吧！Hàorán, zǒu ba!Haoran, let's go!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “go” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 去, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
