征ゆく

ゆ

く

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb

depart for military service; go into battle

formal or literary

Formal or literary term for setting off to war or going on a military campaign. Not used in everyday conversation.

兵へい士したちは戦せん地ちへ征ゆく準じゅん備びを整ととのえた。
The soldiers prepared to depart for the battlefield.

彼かれ

は

若わか

く

し

て

戦たたか

い

に

征ゆ

き

、

二に

度ど

と

戻もど

ら

なかっ

た

。

He went into battle young and never returned.

Kanji

征subjugate, attack the rebellious, collect taxes

Similar words

行いく
行く is the common verb for 'to go' in all contexts. 征く is a specialized, formal/literary variant used only for going to war or on a military expedition.

Etymology

The kanji 征 means 'subjugate' or 'attack', and the reading ゆく is a classical/literary variant of いく (to go). The combination is a formal expression for going to war.