学校に行く
gakkō ni iku
The Japanese phrase for "I go to school" is 学校に行く (gakkō ni iku).
This phrase is used to state that someone is traveling to or attending a school.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of three parts: 学校 (gakkō), which literally means 'study hall' or 'school'. The particle に (ni), which indicates the direction or destination of the movement. And the verb 行く (iku), which means 'to go'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal situations, such as when speaking to teachers or strangers, you should use the polite form 学校に行きます. In very informal settings, you might use a phrase like Gakkou iku yo to mean "I go to school, you know".
How does it change in a sentence?
You can replace the particle に with へ to form 学校へ行く. This is also correct and places more emphasis on the direction of travel.
How do you pronounce it?
gakkō ni iku
Did you know?
- Students in Japan often use the phrase 登校 (tōkō), which literally means 'climbing school', to describe the act of going to school.
- Japanese school children often travel in groups called 集団登校 (shūdan tōkō), where older students lead younger ones to school together for safety.
- In Japanese, you often omit the word 'I' entirely if the context is clear. While English speakers say 'I go to school', a Japanese speaker will often just say 学校に行く.
Examples in context
- 私は、バスで学校に行く。I go to school by bus.This sentence is useful for describing the method of travel using the form 学校に行く.Tatoeba #162318 by bunbuku, translation #321680 by CK
- 学校に行くときは帽子を被ります。I put on a cap when I go to school.This sentence is useful for describing an action taken when using the form 学校に行く.Tatoeba #184468 by small_snow, translation #21596 by CK
- 毎朝、歩いて学校に行く。Maiasa, aruite gakkou ni iku.I go to school on foot every morning.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their morning routine.
- 結衣 Yui結衣はもう学校に行く準備ができた？Yui wa mou gakkou ni iku junbi ga dekita?Yui, are you ready to go to school yet?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、もう準備は終わったよ。Un, mou junbi wa owatta yo.Yes, I'm already finished getting ready.
- 結衣 Yuiじゃあ、一緒に学校に行く？Jaa, issho ni gakkou ni iku?Then, do you want to go to school together?
- 陽太 Yotaいいよ。行こう！Ii yo. Ikou!Sure. Let's go!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
