ich ging nach
The German phrase for "I went to" is ich ging nach.
ich ging nach is used to describe the act of traveling to a specific destination in the past.
What does it mean word for word?
The preposition nach means "to" in this context.
Which one should you use?
ich ging nach is used for destinations like countries or cities, whereas ich ging zu would imply walking toward a specific person or a specific building. For visiting specific places like museums or landmarks, a more formal way to express this is Ich habe … besucht.
How does it change in a sentence?
The preposition nach is used with ging specifically for most countries and cities that do not have a feminine or plural article. In spoken German, the perfect tense ich bin … gegangen is much more common than the simple past ich ging for describing a completed action.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use zu instead of nach when expressing traveling to a country or city.
Did you know?
- The preposition nach in ich ging nach is a linguistic relative of the English word 'nigh', as both stem from roots meaning 'near'.
- The preposition nach only works for destinations without articles, meaning you cannot use it to say you went to 'the USA' or 'the Netherlands'.
- In high-level formal writing or literature, ich ging is preferred, but using it in a casual coffee shop conversation can sound unnaturally poetic or stiff.
Examples in context
- Ich ging nach Kanada.I went to Canada.This sentence is useful for practicing how to say you went to Canada.Tatoeba #10061394 by wolfgangth, translation #2327982 by jeshaian
- Ich ging nach Schweden.I went to Sweden.This sentence is useful for practicing how to say you went to Sweden.Tatoeba #8648426 by Melang, translation #2886141 by CN
- Ich ging nach Norwegen.I went to Norway.This sentence is useful for practicing how to say you went to Norway.Tatoeba #10103397 by wolfgangth, translation #2886140 by CN
- Ich bin nach Berlin gegangen.I went to Berlin.
- Ich bin nach Deutschland gegangen.I went to Germany.
- Ich bin nach Italien gegangen.I went to Italy.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Sarah are talking about their past travels.
- JulianIch ging nach Spanien im letzten Sommer.I went to Spain last summer.
- SarahDas klingt toll, Julian!That sounds great, Julian!
- JulianUnd du, Sarah? Wo warst du?And you, Sarah? Where were you?
- SarahIch blieb zu Hause.I stayed at home.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ging, ich, nach, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
