行く – Iku is not the same as Go

One of the most common words in Japanese is 行いく. This verb means to go but does not show up in all the same places. Let’s take a closer look.

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What does 行く mean in Japanese?

Instead of thinking of 行く as to go it is better to think of it in reference to where you are and where you are heading to. In other words, 行く means movement away from the speaker. So, if I was talking and wanted to say I was going to a movie theater I would say the following.

映画館えいがかんに行く
I am going to the movie theater

Here there is no difference between the English word go. There are situations though when you would say 行く in Japanese but not go in English

The Difference between 行く and Go

The verb 行く always means going away from where you are now, or from where someone or something else is. English on the other hand confuses this concept a bit.

John: Do you want to come to the movie theater with me?
Tom: Yes, I would love to come!

行く - 16 Japanese Verbs for Going

The Japanese word 行く(いく、) 　means to go. You can take this word and combine it with other verbs to ...

Japanese Universe

This does not happen in Japanese though. Since Tom is moving somewhere away from where he is now, you would say 行く.

はい、行きたいです
Yes I want to go

Reference

• 行く – Weblio