For autodidact students of Mandarin, the verb 去 (qù) — "to go" — is one of the first and most essential verbs in the language. It is a verb of movement away from the speaker's current position, contrasting with 来 (lái, to come — toward the speaker). Together 去 and 来 form one of Chinese's most productive directional oppositions, appearing as main verbs, directional complements, and elements of compound verbs.
去 also functions as a purpose marker in a structure unique to Chinese: Verb 1 + 去 + Verb 2 means "go [somewhere] in order to do [Verb 2]." 我去买菜 means "I'm going to buy vegetables" — not a future tense but a statement of purposeful movement. This structure is among the most common in everyday Chinese speech.
Key Takeaways: - 去 = to go [movement away from speaker] — contrasts with 来 (come, toward speaker) - 去 as purpose marker: verb + 去 + verb = go [somewhere] to do [something] - 去 as directional complement: 走去 (walk there), 送去 (send there), 带去 (take there) - 不去 (bù qù): won't go / not going — 没去 (méi qù): didn't go [past] - 去哪里 (qù nǎlǐ): where [are you] going? — one of the most common daily questions
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去 is a simple character of five strokes. It depicts a person (above) and an opening or cavity (below) — originally suggesting departure through an opening or gate. The character is one of the easiest to write and one of the first learned in handwriting practice.
去 appears in important compound words: 过去 (guòqù, the past — literally "gone past"), 去世 (qùshì, to pass away — literally "go from the world"), 去除 (qùchú, to remove/eliminate), 失去 (shīqù, to lose — literally "lose and it goes"). These compounds reveal the deeper meaning of 去 as departure, loss, and the irreversibility of things that have gone.
In directional complement pairs: Mandarin uses 去 and 来 as directional endings attached to verbs of motion to indicate whether the movement is away from or toward the speaker: - 走去 / 走来 (walk there / walk here) - 拿去 / 拿来 (take away / bring here) - 送去 / 送来 (send away / deliver here)
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30.1a 我 I 去 go 图书馆 library
30.1b (wǒ) I (qù) go (túshūguǎn) library
30.2a 你 you 去 go 哪里 where ？
30.2b (nǐ) you (qù) go (nǎlǐ) where?
30.3a 他 he 去 went 北京 Beijing 出差 business-trip 了 PERF
30.3b (tā) he (qù) went (Běijīng) Beijing (chūchāi) business-trip (le) PERF
30.4a 我 I 去 go 买 buy 菜 vegetables
30.4b (wǒ) I (qù) go (mǎi) buy (cài) vegetables [= I'm going to buy vegetables]
30.5a 她 she 不 not 想 want 去 go
30.5b (tā) she (bù) not (xiǎng) want (qù) go
30.6a 你们 you-PL 去 go 不去 not-go ？
30.6b (nǐmen) you-PL (qù) go (bù qù) not-go? [= Are you going or not?]
30.7a 明天 tomorrow 我 I 们 PL 一起 together 去 go 爬 climb 山 mountain 吧 SUGG
30.7b (míngtiān) tomorrow (wǒmen) we (yīqǐ) together (qù) go (pá) climb (shān) mountain (ba) SUGG
30.8a 他 he 去 went 年 year 就 then 毕业 graduated 了 PERF
30.8b (tā) he (qù) went (nián) year (jiù) then (bìyè) graduated (le) PERF [去年 = last year]
30.9a 把 BA 这 this 份 CL 文件 document 送 send 去 away 他 his 的 DE 办公室 office
30.9b (bǎ) BA (zhè) this (fèn) CL (wénjiàn) document (sòng) send (qù) away (tā) his (de) DE (bàngōngshì) office
30.10a 那 that 个 CL 机会 opportunity 就 then 这样 like-this 去 went 了 PERF
30.10b (nà) that (gè) CL (jīhuì) opportunity (jiù) then (zhèyàng) like-this (qù) went (le) PERF [= That opportunity was gone just like that]
30.11a 我 I 没 not-PAST 去 go 过 EXP 那个 that-CL 地方 place
30.11b (wǒ) I (méi) not-PAST (qù) go (guò) EXP (nàge) that-CL (dìfāng) place
30.12a 他 he 去 went 了 PERF ， , 再也 never-again 不 not 回来 come-back 了 PERF
30.12b (tā) he (qù) went (le) PERF (zài yě) never-again (bù) not (huílái) come-back (le) PERF
30.13a 去 go 做 do 什么 what 都 all 好 good ， , 只要 as-long-as 你 you 开心 happy
30.13b (qù) go (zuò) do (shénme) what (dōu) all (hǎo) good (zhǐyào) as-long-as (nǐ) you (kāixīn) happy
30.14a 时间 time 去 gone 了 PERF ， , 人 people 老 age 了 PERF
30.14b (shíjiān) time (qù) gone (le) PERF (rén) people (lǎo) age (le) PERF
30.15a 过去 past 的 DE 事 matters 就 then 让 let 它 it 过去 pass 吧 SUGG
30.15b (guòqù) past (de) DE (shì) matters (jiù) then (ràng) let (tā) it (guòqù) pass (ba) SUGG
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30.1 我去图书馆。 "I am going to the library."
30.2 你去哪里？ "Where are you going?"
30.3 他去北京出差了。 "He has gone to Beijing on a business trip."
30.4 我去买菜。 "I am going to buy vegetables."
30.5 她不想去。 "She doesn't want to go."
30.6 你们去不去？ "Are you going or not?"
30.7 明天我们一起去爬山吧。 "Let's go hiking together tomorrow."
30.8 他去年就毕业了。 "He graduated last year."
30.9 把这份文件送去他的办公室。 "Send this document to his office."
30.10 那个机会就这样去了。 "That opportunity was gone just like that."
30.11 我没去过那个地方。 "I have never been to that place."
30.12 他去了，再也不回来了。 "He left — and never came back."
30.13 去做什么都好，只要你开心。 "Go and do whatever — as long as you are happy."
30.14 时间去了，人老了。 "Time has gone — and people have grown old."
30.15 过去的事就让它过去吧。 "Let the things of the past simply pass."
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30.1 我去图书馆。 30.2 你去哪里？ 30.3 他去北京出差了。 30.4 我去买菜。 30.5 她不想去。 30.6 你们去不去？ 30.7 明天我们一起去爬山吧。 30.8 他去年就毕业了。 30.9 把这份文件送去他的办公室。 30.10 那个机会就这样去了。 30.11 我没去过那个地方。 30.12 他去了，再也不回来了。 30.13 去做什么都好，只要你开心。 30.14 时间去了，人老了。 30.15 过去的事就让它过去吧。
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These are the grammar rules for 去 (qù) — "to go":
去 as main verb of movement: 去 expresses movement away from the speaker's current position. It typically takes a destination as its object: 去图书馆 (go to the library), 去北京 (go to Beijing), 去哪里 (go where). The destination follows 去 directly with no preposition needed.
去 as purpose connector: V1 + 去 + V2
One of the most important uses of 去 is in the purpose construction: a movement verb (or just 去 alone) followed by a second verb expressing the purpose of the movement:
- 我去买菜 (I go buy vegetables = I'm going to buy vegetables) - 我去图书馆借书 (I go to the library borrow books = I'm going to the library to borrow books) - 她去医院看病 (She goes to hospital see doctor = She's going to the hospital to see a doctor)
The second verb is not a separate sentence — it is the purpose of the going. This structure replaces the English infinitive of purpose "to [verb]."
去 vs 来 — direction relative to speaker:
去 and 来 form a pair: 去 moves away from where the speaker is; 来 moves toward where the speaker is. The distinction is speaker-relative:
If you are at home and your friend is coming to you: 你来我家吧 (Come to my place). If you are going to your friend's place: 我去你家 (I'll go to your place).
In instructions: 把这个拿去 (take this away) vs 把这个拿来 (bring this here).
去年 (qùnián) — last year: 去 + 年 = literally "gone year" = last year. This is a fixed compound; the 去 is not a verb here but part of a time word. Similarly: 去年 (last year), contrast with 明年 (next year), 今年 (this year).
过去 (guòqù) — the past / to pass: 过去 as a noun means "the past." 过去的事 (matters of the past). 过去 also functions as a verb: 让它过去 (let it pass). The two uses are grammatically distinct but semantically linked — the past is what has passed by.
Negative pattern: 去不去 (qù bu qù) — alternative questions: In Chinese, "A or not A" is the standard way to form a yes/no question with a verb: 去不去 (go or not go?), 吃不吃 (eat or not eat?), 是不是 (is or is not?). This is an alternative to the sentence-final 吗 question.
没去过 (méi qùguò) — never been: 没 + verb + 过 = have never done. The experiential aspect marker 过 marks something as an experience (or non-experience). 我没去过那个地方 (I have never been to that place). Compare: 我没去 (I didn't go — past event) vs 我没去过 (I have never been — life experience).
Common Mistakes: - Using 去 where the movement is toward the speaker — that should be 来 - Confusing 去了 (went/has gone) with 过去 (the past/passed) in context - Omitting the purpose verb: 我去图书馆 (I am going to the library) vs 我去图书馆借书 (I am going to the library to borrow books) — both are correct, but the purpose verb adds precision
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去 in Chinese carries a particular emotional weight in its most final use: 他走了 / 他去了 (He has gone — euphemism for death). Both 走 (walk/leave) and 去 (go) serve as gentle ways to speak of someone's passing. This euphemistic use is deeply embedded in Chinese culture — direct speech about death is often avoided; movement verbs provide a softer register.
去年 (last year) and 过去 (the past) use 去 to mark what has moved beyond reach. Chinese does not have a past tense in the European sense — 了 marks completion, 过 marks experience — but the verb 去 itself, when used of time, carries the sense of irreversibility: time that has gone cannot be called back. 时间去了 (time has gone) is a small poem in three characters.
The question 你去哪里 (Where are you going?) is notoriously common as a social greeting in Chinese, particularly among older generations and in smaller communities. Where English speakers ask "How are you?", Chinese speakers sometimes ask "Where are you going?" — not because they want a precise answer, but as a signal of neighbourly attention. Answering 出去走走 (just going for a walk) is entirely sufficient.
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王之涣 (Wáng Zhīhuàn), 《登鹳雀楼》— Ascending the Stork Tower, c. 8th century CE
One of the most memorised poems in the Chinese tradition — four lines of five characters each — whose final couplet uses 去 to describe the sun's departure and draws a moral from it:
白日依山尽，黄河入海流。欲穷千里目，更上一层楼。
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
白 (bái) white/bright 日 (rì) sun 依 (yī) leaning-on 山 (shān) mountain 尽 (jìn) exhausted/gone ，
黄河 (Huáng Hé) Yellow-River 入 (rù) enter 海 (hǎi) sea 流 (liú) flow 。
欲 (yù) wish-to 穷 (qióng) exhaust 千里 (qiān lǐ) thousand-li 目 (mù) vision ，
更 (gèng) yet-more 上 (shàng) go-up 一层 (yī céng) one-floor 楼 (lóu) tower
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
白日依山尽，黄河入海流。欲穷千里目，更上一层楼。
"The bright sun, leaning on the mountains, is gone; the Yellow River enters the sea and flows on. If you wish to exhaust your gaze over a thousand li — climb yet one more floor."
F-C: Authentic Text Only
白日依山尽，黄河入海流。欲穷千里目，更上一层楼。
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
白日依山尽 (bái rì yī shān jìn): the sun leans on the mountains and is done — 尽 here means "finished/gone/exhausted." The going of the sun is expressed not with 去 but with 尽 — yet the concept is identical: the sun has 去-ed beyond the mountains. Classical Chinese is rich in near-synonyms for departure.
欲穷千里目 (yù qióng qiān lǐ mù): 欲 (wish/want to — classical modal) + 穷 (exhaust/reach the limit of) + 千里 (a thousand li) + 目 (eye/vision). "If you want to exhaust your vision over a thousand li" = if you want to see as far as possible.
更上一层楼 (gèng shàng yī céng lóu): 更 (even more/yet more) + 上 (go up) + 一层楼 (one more floor). The 上 here is a directional verb "go up." This line — "climb yet one more floor" — has become one of Chinese culture's most beloved metaphors for continuous self-improvement. It is cited at graduations, in motivational speeches, on calligraphy scrolls.
F-E: Literary Commentary
The poem is built on two departures — the sun goes (尽), the river goes (入海) — and from these two goings draws a lesson: if things go from you, go higher yourself. 去 and its synonyms 尽, 流 are the first half of the poem; 上 is its resolution. You cannot stop the sun from going. You can climb one more floor. This is 去 and its answer: when things depart, the response is not to pursue but to ascend. The lesson word 去 is the wound; more上 is the cure.
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Two friends, one who leaves their hometown for the city, one who stays — told through the verb 去 and its counterpart 留 (stay). 去 appears in every role: main verb, purpose connector, directional complement, compound, and finally as 过去 (the past) itself.
30.16a 小镇 small-town 里 inside ， , 有人 some-people 去 left ， , 有人 some-people 留 stayed
30.16b (xiǎo zhèn) small-town (lǐ) inside (yǒu rén) some-people (qù) left (yǒu rén) some-people (liú) stayed
30.17a 明明 Ming-Ming 选择 chose 去 go ， , 静静 Jing-Jing 选择 chose 留 stay
30.17b (Míng Ming) Ming-Ming (xuǎnzé) chose (qù) go (Jìng Jìng) Jing-Jing (xuǎnzé) chose (liú) stay
30.18a 明明 Ming-Ming 去 went 上海 Shanghai 找 find 工作 work ， , 背包 backpack 里 inside 带 brought 着 PROG 全部 all 的 DE 勇气 courage
30.18b (Míng Ming) Ming-Ming (qù) went (Shànghǎi) Shanghai (zhǎo) find (gōngzuò) work (bēibāo lǐ) backpack-inside (dài zhe) brought-PROG (quánbù) all (de) DE (yǒngqì) courage
30.19a 出发 depart 那天 that-day ， , 静静 Jing-Jing 送 saw-off 明明 Ming-Ming 去 go 了 PERF 车站 station
30.19b (chūfā) depart (nà tiān) that-day (Jìng Jìng) Jing-Jing (sòng) saw-off (Míng Ming) Ming-Ming (qù) go (le) PERF (chēzhàn) station
30.20a 火车 train 去 go 了 PERF ， , 静静 Jing-Jing 站 stood 在 at 站台 platform 上 on ， , 没 not-PAST 动 move
30.20b (huǒchē) train (qù) go (le) PERF (Jìng Jìng) Jing-Jing (zhàn) stood (zài) at (zhàntái) platform (shàng) on (méi) not-PAST (dòng) move
30.21a 上海 Shanghai 的 DE 生活 life 比 than 明明 Ming-Ming 想象 imagined 的 DE 难 harder 得多 much-more
30.21b (Shànghǎi) Shanghai (de) DE (shēnghuó) life (bǐ) than (Míng Ming) Ming-Ming (xiǎngxiàng) imagined (de) DE (nán) harder (de duō) much-more
30.22a 他 he 去 went 过 EXP 很多 many 地方 places 找 find 工作 work ， , 到处 everywhere 碰壁 hit-wall
30.22b (tā) he (qù guò) went-EXP (hěn duō) many (dìfāng) places (zhǎo) find (gōngzuò) work (dào chù) everywhere (pèng bì) hit-wall
30.23a 他 he 给 to 静静 Jing-Jing 发 sent 消息 message ： : "我 I 有时候 sometimes 想 want 回去 go-back 。"
30.23b (tā) he (gěi) to (Jìng Jìng) Jing-Jing (fā) sent (xiāoxi) message (wǒ) I (yǒu shíhou) sometimes (xiǎng) want (huí qù) go-back
30.24a 静静 Jing-Jing 回复 replied ： : "过去 past 的 DE 不要 don't 想 think-of ， , 前面 ahead 还有 still-have 路 road 要走 to-walk 。"
30.24b (Jìng Jìng) Jing-Jing (huífù) replied (guòqù) past (de) DE (bù yào) don't (xiǎng) think-of (qiánmiàn) ahead (hái yǒu) still-have (lù) road (yào zǒu) to-walk
30.25a 三年 three-years 过去 passed 了 PERF ， , 明明 Ming-Ming 在 PROG 上海 Shanghai 慢慢 gradually 站稳 stood-firm 了脚跟 foothold
30.25b (sān nián) three-years (guòqù) passed (le) PERF (Míng Ming) Ming-Ming (zài) PROG (Shànghǎi) Shanghai (màn màn) gradually (zhàn wěn) stood-firm (le jiǎogēn) foothold
30.26a 他 he 让 had 静静 Jing-Jing 来 come 上海 Shanghai 看看 have-a-look
30.26b (tā) he (ràng) had (Jìng Jìng) Jing-Jing (lái) come (Shànghǎi) Shanghai (kànkan) have-a-look
30.27a 静静 Jing-Jing 第一次 first-time 离开 left 小镇 small-town ， , 去 went 了 PERF 这 this 个 CL 她 she 从没 never 想过 imagined 自己 self 会 would 去 go 的 DE 城市 city
30.27b (Jìng Jìng) Jing-Jing (dì yī cì) first-time (líkāi) left (xiǎo zhèn) small-town (qù le) went-PERF (zhège) this-CL (tā) she (cóng méi) never (xiǎng guò) imagined-EXP (zìjǐ) self (huì) would (qù) go (de) DE (chéngshì) city
30.28a 在 at 黄浦江 Huangpu-River 边 edge ， , 她 she 问 asked 明明 Ming-Ming ： : "你 you 后悔 regret 当初 initially 去 went 吗 Q ？"**
30.28b (zài) at (Huángpǔ Jiāng biān) Huangpu-River-edge (tā) she (wèn) asked (Míng Ming) Ming-Ming (nǐ) you (hòuhuǐ) regret (dāngchū) initially (qù) went (ma) Q?
30.29a 明明 Ming-Ming 摇摇头 shook-head 说 said ： : "不 not 后悔 regret 。 去 went 才 only-then 知道 knew ， , 留 stay 也是 also-is 一种 one-kind 勇气 courage 。"**
30.29b (Míng Ming) Ming-Ming (yáoyáo tóu) shook-head (shuō) said (bù) not (hòuhuǐ) regret (qù) went (cái) only-then (zhīdào) knew (liú) stay (yě shì) also-is (yī zhǒng) one-kind (yǒngqì) courage
30.30a 去 go ， , 是 is 一种 one-kind 勇气 courage ； ; 留 stay ， , 也是 also-is 。 不管 no-matter 哪种 which-kind ， , 都 all 是 is 自己 own 的 DE 路** road
30.30b (qù) go (shì) is (yī zhǒng) one-kind (yǒngqì) courage (liú) stay (yě shì) also-is (bù guǎn) no-matter (nǎ zhǒng) which-kind (dōu) all (shì) is (zìjǐ) own (de) DE (lù) road
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30.16 小镇里，有人去，有人留。 "In the small town, some people left, some stayed."
30.17 明明选择去，静静选择留。 "Ming Ming chose to go; Jing Jing chose to stay."
30.18 明明去上海找工作，背包里带着全部的勇气。 "Ming Ming went to Shanghai to find work, carrying all their courage in a backpack."
30.19 出发那天，静静送明明去了车站。 "On the day of departure, Jing Jing saw Ming Ming off to the station."
30.20 火车去了，静静站在站台上，没动。 "The train left; Jing Jing stood on the platform without moving."
30.21 上海的生活比明明想象的难得多。 "Life in Shanghai was much harder than Ming Ming had imagined."
30.22 他去过很多地方找工作，到处碰壁。 "He went to many places looking for work, hitting walls everywhere."
30.23 他给静静发消息："我有时候想回去。" "He sent Jing Jing a message: 'Sometimes I want to go back.'"
30.24 静静回复："过去的不要想，前面还有路要走。" "Jing Jing replied: 'Don't think about the past — there is still road ahead to walk.'"
30.25 三年过去了，明明在上海慢慢站稳了脚跟。 "Three years passed; Ming Ming gradually found a foothold in Shanghai."
30.26 他让静静来上海看看。 "He invited Jing Jing to come to Shanghai for a visit."
30.27 静静第一次离开小镇，去了这个她从没想过自己会去的城市。 "Jing Jing left the small town for the first time, going to this city she had never imagined she would go to."
30.28 在黄浦江边，她问明明："你后悔当初去吗？" "By the Huangpu River, she asked Ming Ming: 'Do you regret having gone?'"
30.29 明明摇摇头说："不后悔。去才知道，留也是一种勇气。" "Ming Ming shook their head: 'No regrets. Going taught me — staying is also a kind of courage.'"
30.30 去，是一种勇气；留，也是。不管哪种，都是自己的路。 "Going is a kind of courage; so is staying. Whichever it is — it is your own road."
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30.16 小镇里，有人去，有人留。 30.17 明明选择去，静静选择留。 30.18 明明去上海找工作，背包里带着全部的勇气。 30.19 出发那天，静静送明明去了车站。 30.20 火车去了，静静站在站台上，没动。 30.21 上海的生活比明明想象的难得多。 30.22 他去过很多地方找工作，到处碰壁。 30.23 他给静静发消息："我有时候想回去。" 30.24 静静回复："过去的不要想，前面还有路要走。" 30.25 三年过去了，明明在上海慢慢站稳了脚跟。 30.26 他让静静来上海看看。 30.27 静静第一次离开小镇，去了这个她从没想过自己会去的城市。 30.28 在黄浦江边，她问明明："你后悔当初去吗？" 30.29 明明摇摇头说："不后悔。去才知道，留也是一种勇气。" 30.30 去，是一种勇气；留，也是。不管哪种，都是自己的路。
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送…去 (sòng…qù): "send/see off [someone] to [somewhere]" — 送 (see off/send) + destination + 去 (away). The directional complement 去 marks the sending as movement away: 送明明去了车站 (saw Ming Ming off to the station — the direction is away from where we are). Contrast 送来 (bring here — movement toward).
站稳了脚跟 (zhàn wěn le jiǎogēn): "stand firm / gain a foothold" — 站 (stand) + 稳 (stable, resultative complement) + 了 (PERF) + 脚跟 (heel/foothold). A compound expression: the result of standing (稳 = stable) produces a foothold. 站稳脚跟 is idiomatic for establishing oneself successfully in a new environment.
从没想过 (cóng méi xiǎng guò): "never imagined [as an experience]" — 从 + 没 (never, in experiential past) + 想 (think/imagine) + 过 (experiential aspect). This combines the 从来没 pattern (from Lesson 29) with the experiential 过. 她从没想过自己会去 = she had never imagined she would go — this was not in her experiential range.
去才知道 (qù cái zhīdào): "only by going did [I] come to know" — the 才 (only then) marks the condition as necessary for the result: going was required for knowing. Without going, the knowledge could not be achieved. 才 here insists on the dependency: there was no other way to learn this except by going.
去 and 留 as nominalised verbs (30.30): In the final sentence, 去 and 留 appear as pure nouns — subjects of their own clauses. 去，是一种勇气 (Going is a kind of courage). This use — where a bare verb becomes a noun-topic — is common in Chinese philosophical and aphoristic writing. No nominaliser is needed: 去 can simply be fronted as a topic and the predicate describes it.
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去 (qù) — IPA: /tɕʰy˥˩/ — Fourth tone, falling.
- q: aspirated palatal affricate [tɕʰ] — the tongue body rises toward the hard palate and makes a stop, then releases into a palatal fricative, with aspiration. English has no direct equivalent. Approach it by thinking of "ch" in "chew" moved back in the mouth, with the tongue spread and a strong puff of breath. - ù: rounded front vowel [y] — like French "u" or German "ü." The lips are fully rounded as for "oo" (English) but the tongue position is forward, as for "ee." English speakers produce this by saying "ee" while gradually rounding the lips. The tone falls sharply. - Tone 4: sharp decisive fall — high to low in one syllable.
Contrast with common confusions: - 去 qù (4th, go) — palatal initial, rounded front vowel - 句 jù (4th, sentence) — different initial [tɕ] unaspirated; same vowel - 趣 qù (4th, interest/fun) — identical pronunciation; different meaning and character
去年 (qùnián): 去 (4th tone) + 年 (2nd tone) — falling then rising. A clean, natural tonal sequence.
回去 (huí qù): 回 (2nd tone) + 去 (4th tone) — rising then falling. The "come back" / "go back" compound has this rising-falling shape, common in direction-complement pairs.
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