가다
gada[ka̠da̠]
The English phrase "go to" is translated into Korean as 가다 (gada).
The verb 가다 means to move towards a destination. In Korean, the verb 가다 is often used without a specific destination particle if the destination is implied by context.
Meaning: to move towards (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite form of 가다 is 가요. The past tense form of 가다 is 갔다. To express the desire to go, you attach –고 싶다 to the stem 가다 to form 가고 싶다. To express necessity, you attach –야 한다 to the stem 가다 to form 가야 한다.
How do you pronounce it?
gada
Did you know?
- When a Korean speaker says they are 'going' to a place, they may actually be moving toward the listener, which would be 'coming' in English.
- When talking about a person's death, Korean speakers often use the polite form of 'to go', 가시다, to show respect for the deceased.
- While 가다 means 'to go', Koreans often use it in the phrase 잘 가, which literally means 'go well' to say 'goodbye' to someone who is leaving.
Examples in context
- 회사에 가다.Go to the office.
- 학교에 가다.Go to school.
- 은행에 가다.Go to the bank.
- 친구 집에 가.Go to a friend's house.
- 영화관에 가.Go to the movie theater.
- 식당에 가.Go to a restaurant.
- 앞으로 가세요Please go straight
- 왼쪽으로 가세요Please go left
- 도서관에 가다.doseogwane gada.To go to the library.
- 공원에 가다.gongwone gada.To go to the park.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Subin are deciding where to meet.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo수빈 씨, 어디에 가다?Subin ssi, eodie gada?Subin, where are you going?
- 수빈 Su-bin저는 카페에 가다.jeoneun kape-e gada.I am going to a cafe.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo저도 같이 가다.jeodo gatchi gada.I will go with you.
- 수빈 Su-bin좋아요, 같이 가다.joayo, gatchi gada.Great, let's go together.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 가다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
