gehen zu
/ˈɡeːən t͡sə/word by word
The English phrase "go to" is translated into German as gehen zu.
gehen zu is used to describe moving towards a person or a specific point or event.
Meaning: to move towards (verb)
Which one should you use?
Use gehen zu when the destination is a person or a specific point or event. However, you should use gehen in when you are talking about entering a building or a defined space, such as a forest or a city.
How does it change in a sentence?
The preposition zu always requires the dative case. In many sentences, you will see contractions of zu with the dative articles: zum is a contraction of zu and the masculine or neuter dative article dem, while zur is a contraction of zu and the feminine dative article der.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡeːən tsə/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using gehen zu when you are talking about traveling to a city or a country. Instead, use nach for cities and in for countries that have articles.
Did you know?
- The word gehen actually comes from two different ancient roots: one meaning 'to leave' and another meaning 'to walk'.
Examples in context
- Wir gehen zur Schule.We go to school.This sentence shows how to use gehen zu with the contraction zur.Tatoeba #8320385 by MisterTrouser, translation #13249467 by rul
- Kinder gehen zum Lernen in die Schule.Kids go to school to study.This sentence illustrates using gehen zu in the context of children going to school.Tatoeba #3196434 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #904805 by Trailsend
- Tom und ich gehen zusammen zur Schule.Tom and I go to school together.This sentence provides an example of using gehen zu to describe two people going to school together.Tatoeba #10242488 by wolfgangth, translation #2642442 by CK
- Gehen Sie zum BäckerGo to the bakery
- Machen Sie sich auf den Weg zur BankMake your way to the bank
- Geh zum ParkGo to the park
- Mach dich auf den Weg zum SupermarktMake your way to the supermarket
- Geh mal zur ApothekeGo to the pharmacy
- Gehen Sie zur BibliothekGo to the library
- Machen Sie sich auf den Weg zum HotelMake your way to the hotel
- Geh zum RestaurantGo to the restaurant
- Mach dich auf den Weg zur PartyMake your way to the party
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Laura are deciding where to eat lunch.
- FelixWollen wir jetzt zum Café gehen zu?Do we want to go to the café now?
- LauraJa, ich habe Hunger.Yes, I am hungry.
- FelixIch gehe zu dem kleinen Bäcker dort.I am going to the small bakery there.
- LauraDas ist eine gute Idee, Felix.That is a good idea, Felix.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (gehen, zu) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gehen, zu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
