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去

to go

qù
5 strokes · 土-like top (a person departing) + 厶 (private/enclosure below) · HSK 1

What 去 is made of

土 + 厶 = 去
土earth; soil; land tǔ
厶private / cocoon

Where 去 comes from

Oracle 去 showed a person stepping away from a dwelling's mouth — departure drawn as body leaving shelter. Everything about 去 moves away from here: the opposite pole of 来 'come', the pair that orients all Chinese motion.

去 in Chinese culture

去 is the engine of plans: 去哪儿?'where are you going?' — the question that named a travel app empire. Last year is 去年, 'the year that went'. 去世 'leave the world' is the gentle word for dying — departure, not ending.

Example

去年 qùnián — last year

我们去公园吧。
Wǒmen qù gōngyuán ba.
Let's go to the park.

How to remember it

A person stepping out of the doorway — GOING.

来来去去 'coming and going' describes bustle; 去去就来 'just going, right back' is the promise every waiter makes.

Same sound, different tones

区
1st qū
district
渠
2nd qú
canal
取
3rd qǔ
to take
去
4th qù
to go

Words unlocked by 去

去年 qùnián
last year
出去 chūqù
to go out

Related characters

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