also: ゆく
行く · godan verb (iku/yuku class)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 行く | 行かない |
| Polite | 行きます | 行きません |
| Past polite | 行きました | 行きませんでした |
| Past | 行った | 行かなかった |
| Te-form | 行って | 行かないで |
| Desire | 行きたい | 行きたくない |
| Potential | 行ける | 行けない |
| Passive | 行かれる | 行かれない |
| Causative | 行かせる | 行かせない |
| Causative passive | 行かせられるalso 行かされる | 行かせられないalso 行かされない |
| Volitional | 行こう | |
| Polite volitional | 行きましょう | |
| Imperative | 行け | 行くな |
| Conditional | 行けば | 行かなければ |
| Tara conditional | 行ったら | 行かなかったら |
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
go; move toward; leave for
Basic motion away from the current point or toward a destination. Takes destinations with に, へ, or a place plus まで; contrasts with 来る, which is motion toward the speaker or reference point.
See also: 来る
明日、京都へ行く。
I’m going to Kyoto tomorrow.
彼は朝早く会社に行った。
He went to work early in the morning.
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
go along; travel across; move through
Used with a route, road, area, or space marked by を to describe moving along or through it, rather than simply going to a destination.
山道をゆっくり行った。
We went slowly along the mountain path.
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
go well or badly; proceed; turn out; get along
Common in abstract expressions such as うまくいく, 順調にいく, and 彼とはうまくいかない. Kana is very common in these idioms.
計画はうまくいっている。
The plan is going well.
彼女とは最近うまくいっていない。
I haven’t been getting along well with her lately.
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
go with a choice; do it in a certain way; try
Often used as 〜でいく: choose that option, method, style, or plan and proceed with it. It can sound casual and decision-oriented.
昼食はラーメンでいこう。
Let’s go with ramen for lunch.
まずはこの方法でいってみよう。
Let’s try going with this method first.
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
Used of time, seasons, or years passing. In modern Japanese this is often literary or set-phrase-like, as in 行く春 or 行く年.
行く春を惜しんで、桜を見に行った。
We went to see the cherry blossoms, reluctant to see spring pass.
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
A poetic or literary use for something flowing or streaming through a place. In ordinary modern prose, 流れる is usually the more direct verb for physical flowing.
「野を行く川」のように、水の流れを詩的に表すことがある。
Expressions like “a river going through the fields” can poetically describe the flow of water.
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
Only when written 逝く
Euphemistic written use for death; this sense is usually written 逝く rather than 行く.
祖父は九十歳で逝った。
My grandfather passed away at the age of ninety.
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
reach a stage; get to an extent; go so far as
Used when a matter, discussion, number, age, or process reaches a certain point or extent, often with まで or そこまで.
話はそこまで行かなかった。
The discussion didn’t go that far.
売上は一億円まで行った。
Sales reached one hundred million yen.
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
Used when information, instructions, contact, wind, or a similar thing reaches someone or somewhere. 届く is often the more literal verb for 'reach,' but 連絡が行く is common.
連絡が全員に行っていない。
The message has not reached everyone.
auxiliary verb, godan verb (iku/yuku class)
continue to; go on doing; gradually become
Auxiliary verb after the -て form: 〜ていく. It shows continuing from now on, moving away from the present, or gradual progress/change. In casual speech the い may be omitted, as in 〜てく.
これからも日本語を勉強していく。
I will keep studying Japanese from now on.
人口は少しずつ減っていく。
The population will gradually decrease.
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
Colloquial sexual use, often written in kana or katakana as いく or イク. This is explicit and can sound vulgar depending on context.
彼女はイクふりをした。
She pretended to orgasm.
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
trip; get high; have a drug-induced hallucination
Slang use referring to being high or hallucinating from drugs. This is limited, colloquial, and usually written in kana rather than kanji.
彼は薬でいっているような目をしていた。
He had eyes like he was high on drugs.
If you go straight along this road, you'll reach the station.
Let's go with this design this time.
Detailed contact information will reach the person in charge later.
The discussion hasn't gone that far yet.
I think I'll gradually get used to the environment from here on.
向かう emphasizes heading in a direction or facing toward a destination, while 行く simply states the act of going there.
行く is the plain, everyday verb for going somewhere, while 赴く is a formal, literary word for proceeding to a destination.
行く is the neutral, all-purpose word for 'go', while 出向く specifically implies traveling somewhere for a formal or business purpose.
行く is the plain, general verb for 'go' with no implication of effort, while 足を運ぶ specifically highlights making a deliberate trip somewhere.
イク is a casual slang term for reaching orgasm or ejaculating, while 射精 is the formal, clinical term used in medical contexts.
行く simply means to go somewhere, while 通う emphasizes repeated, regular back-and-forth movement to the same place.
行く is the casual, general word for 'go', while 訪れる carries a sense of deliberate purpose, often for formal or meaningful visits.
来る describes motion toward the speaker or reference point, while 行く describes motion away from it.
いらっしゃる is the honorific verb used for someone else's going (or coming/being), while 行く is the plain, neutral verb.
参る is the humble verb for one's own going, used to lower oneself in polite speech, while 行く is the plain, neutral verb.
越す is the honorific verb used for someone's coming or going, corresponding to the plain verb 行く 'to go'.
お出で honorifically refers to someone's going, while 行く is the plain, neutral verb 'to go'.
行く is the plain verb for going, while おいでになる is its honorific form used when a respected person goes.
逝く shares the same pronunciation and is the kanji specifically used for the euphemistic 'pass away' sense, while 行く written this way normally means the plain 'go'.
行く (いく, 'to go') shares the kanji 行 with 行う (おこなう, 'to perform') but has a completely different reading and meaning.
abruptly; suddenly; without warning
going too far; excess; overdoing
destination · whereabouts; location · future; prospects
arrive at; reach (a destination) · end up; come to (a conclusion); culminate in
regular; favorite; usual; preferred
Practical kana spelling for common abstract expressions such as うまくいく and でいく, for the auxiliary -ていく, and for the senses marked usually written in kana.
Katakana spelling often used for the colloquial sexual sense; イク is listed as a search-only kana form.
Rare kanji form; mainly useful for physical going or traveling, not for everyday abstract uses.
The 'die; pass away' sense is usually written this way.
crossing without meeting; going astray · misunderstanding; disagreement; estrangement
way to go; route; directions · way of doing; method; how to
spread throughout; permeate; reach everyone
reach a dead end; come to a standstill; be stuck
go past; go too far (physically) · go too far (figuratively); overdo; go to extremes
be thorough; be attentive; be scrupulous
collapsing in the street; person dead in the street
outbound trip; the way there · bound for ... · outbound ticket
take someone to a place; take along; lead away
place to go; destination
leave; go out and away
on the way; en route
on the way; en route
meet by chance; happen upon; run into
go out with a purpose; set out to do
place to go; destination
woman who missed the chance to marry (due to age)