5.5: Using the verb "qu"

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You can use 去 (qù) whenever you have somewhere to go. It's pretty easy to get a handle on this verb; the only trick is getting used to not needing a word for "to" before the destination.

去 (qù) with Just a Place

The verb 去 (qù) means "to go," and is an easy way to talk about going to places.

Structure

Subj. + 去 + [Place]

Notice that you don't need a word to express "to."

Examples

我去公司。公司 literally means "company" but is often used to mean "office."Wǒ qù gōngsī.I'm going to the office.
你去洗手间吗？Nǐ qù xǐshǒujiān ma?Are you going to the restroom?
下午我会去超市。Xiàwǔ wǒ huì qù chāoshì.In the afternoon, I'll go to the supermarket.
我们现在去公园。Wǒmen xiànzài qù gōngyuán.We're going to the park now.
晚上我们去酒吧。你去吗？Wǎnshang wǒmen qù jiǔbā. Nǐ qù ma?Tonight we're going to the bar. Are you going?

You can also use 去 (qù) for asking questions. (Note the use of question words and question particles.)

A: 你去哪儿？Nǐ qù nǎr ?Where are you going?
B: 我去学校。Wǒ qù xuéxiào .I am going to school.

A: 你去我家吗？Nǐ qù wǒ jiā ma ?Are you going to my place?
B: 我去。literally, "I'm going."Wǒ qù.Yes.

When answering a yes-no question that uses 去 (qù) you don't need anything following it. However, it's important to note that you cannot just use 去 (qù) when there is no context.

去 (qù) with a Verb

Instead of a place, 去 (qù) can also be followed by some sort of action. The structure then means "go to do (something)," and "go and do (something)."

Structure

Subj. + 去 + Verb

Examples

我去工作。Wǒ qù gōngzuò.I'm going to work.
他去上课。Tā qù shàngkè.He's going to class.
你想去旅行吗？Nǐ xiǎng qù lǚxíng ma?Would you like to go travel?
我们去吃饭吧。Wǒmen qù chīfàn ba.Let's go eat.
九点我们去买。Jiǔ diǎn wǒmen qù mǎi.At 9 o'clock, we'll go buy it.

Contents

Text

去 (qù) with Just a Place

Structure

Examples

去 (qù) with a Verb

Structure

Examples

See also