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7.7: Lesson 6 Grammar - Using the verb 去 (qù)

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    66620

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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。
      Wǒ qù gōngsī.
      I'm going to the office.
      [公司 literally means "company" but is often used to mean "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。
      Wǒ qù.
      Yes. [literally, "I'm going.”]

    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.

    [adapted from AllSet Learning Chinese Grammar Wiki, Creative Commons License BY-NC-SA 3.0]

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    Any Questions? 

    If you have any questions about this grammar point, please ask in the class forums!

    This page titled 7.7: Lesson 6 Grammar - Using the verb 去 (qù) was last modified on Thu, 13 Aug 2020 03:01:00 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Carl Polley (裴凯).