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囲碁 (いご, igo) Japanese meaning: Go | Kotomora

囲い碁ご

い

ご

Common word›JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

Go; the board game Go

Refers to the traditional East Asian board game of strategy. Often called 碁 (ご) in compounds or casual contexts.

週しゅう末まつに友とも達だちと囲い碁ごを打うつ。

I play Go with my friends on weekends.

彼かれは囲い碁ごのプロ棋き士しだ。

He is a professional Go player.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉と囲い碁ごを打うつto play Go with someone
祖そ父ふと囲い碁ごを打うつのが好すきだ。
I like playing Go with my grandfather.
囲い碁ごを習ならうto learn/study Go
子こどもの頃ころから囲い碁ごを習ならっている。
I have been learning Go since I was a child.
囲い碁ごの大たい会かいに出でるto enter/participate in a Go tournament
来らい月げつ、囲い碁ごの大たい会かいに出でる予よ定ていだ。
I plan to enter a Go tournament next month.

Kanji

囲surround, besiege, store
碁Go

Related words

碁ごN2
碁 is the short, informal form of 囲碁 often used in casual speech and compounds like 碁盤, while 囲碁 is the fuller, more formal name for the game.
チェス
チェス involves distinct pieces with different moves, whereas 囲碁 (Go) is played with identical black and white stones aiming to surround territory.

Don't confuse with

将しょう棋ぎN2
囲碁 and 将棋 are both traditional Japanese board games often mentioned together, but 囲碁 uses stones to control territory while 将棋 is a chess-like game with distinct pieces and captures.
棋き士し
囲碁 is the game of go itself, while 棋士 refers to the professional person who plays it.

Counted with

局きょくN2
A single game of 囲碁 is counted with 局, as in 一局打つ (to play one game).

Word family

ポン抜ぬき囲い碁ご
ponnuki go; first-capture go

Etymology

From Chinese 圍棋 (wéiqí), literally 'surrounding board game'. The Japanese reading いご is the on'yomi of the characters.