行く
いく・ゆく
to go
Iku and yuku: two readings of the same verb
行く means “to go.” It has two readings: いく (iku) and ゆく (yuku). Learn いく first for everyday conversation.
- Everyday conversation
- 行く (いく) · iku
This is the usual reading when you talk about going somewhere, such as school, a shop or the park.
- An alternative reading
- 行く (ゆく) · yuku
You may meet this reading in literary writing, songs and set phrases. It often sounds more formal or poetic.
For “go to a place,” put に or へ after the place. The particle へ is pronounced “e.” Even when you meet ゆく, the usual past and て-forms are 行った (いった) and 行って (いって).
How it appears in a sentence
- 学校へ行きます。がっこうへいきます。I go to school.
- 友達と公園に行きます。ともだちとこうえんにいきます。I go to the park with a friend.
- ゆく年、くる年。ゆくとし、くるとし。The passing year and the coming year. (A set phrase used around New Year.)
Useful forms of 行く
These are the forms most useful when you first meet this verb.
- Polite
- 行きます
- Negative
- 行かない
- Past
- 行った
- て-form
- 行って
Kanji in this word
Quick practice: 行く
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Related learning
Browse N5 vocabulary · Related words: 学校, 公園