Going out for fun
Collocations, Stage 1chunk 15 of 22Hobbies, sport & games
Everyday plans to go out and do something, all built the same way: the activity noun goes straight before ni iku.
- asobi ni ikugo out for fun; go visit
- eiga ni ikugo to the movies
- sanpo ni ikugo for a walk
- karaoke ni ikugo to karaoke
Mix-ups English 'go for a walk' or 'go to karaoke' tempts a verb before ni iku, but the noun goes straight in: sanpo ni iku, karaoke ni iku. eiga ni iku is the outing and eiga o miru the watching. asobi ni iku also means dropping by someone's place (asobi ni kite ne).
asobi ni iku
polite asobi ni ikimasugo out for fun; go visit
遊びに行く あそびにいく 遊びに行きます
verbiku 行くgo (asobi is the noun of asobu, have fun, hang out)typical 10% of asobi
trap English 'play' makes asobu sound childish, but adults say asobi ni iku all the time for a fun outing or a visit to a friend's place. And 'I'll come and visit' is asobi ni iku, not asobi ni kuru: as with mukae ni iku, you are the one going.
Covers a fun day or night out and a visit to someone's home: shuumatsu shibuya ni asobi ni itta, tomodachi no uchi ni asobi ni iku. Casual speech often drops ni (asobi iku?). The mirror image, kondo asobi ni kite, is the standard 'come over sometime'.
kondo, asobi ni iku ne!
I'll come and visit sometime!
今度、遊びに行くね！
kondo, asobi ni ikimasu ne!
I'll come and visit sometime!
今度、遊びに行きますね！
Among friends kondo asobou (let's hang out sometime) is the plain invitation, often a friendly maybe rather than a fixed plan.
Same verb: nomi (drinks: nomi ni iku), omimai (visiting someone sick: omimai ni iku), aisatsu (dropping by to say hello: aisatsu ni iku)Learn alongside: kaimono ni iku, eiga ni iku, sanpo ni iku, karaoke ni iku, tsuri ni iku (Stage 4), kyanpu ni iku (Stage 4), ohanami ni iku (Stage 4)Main list: asobu (Stage 3), -ni iku / -ni kuru (Stage 4), iku (Stage 1), kuru (Stage 1), kondo (Stage 3)
eiga ni iku
polite eiga ni ikimasugo to the movies
映画に行く えいがにいく 映画に行きます
verbiku 行くgo; with an event noun + ni, go out to see ittypical 5% of eiga
Said about going to the cinema, usually as a plan or an invitation: eiga ikanai? Casual speech drops ni. eiga mi ni iku says the same with the watching spelled out; at home it is just eiga o miru.
shuumatsu, eiga ikanai?
Want to go to a movie this weekend?
週末、映画行かない？
shuumatsu, eiga ni ikimasen ka?
Would you like to go to a movie this weekend?
週末、映画に行きませんか？
eigakan is the building: eigakan de mita (I saw it at the cinema).
Same verb: raibu (gig), konsaato (concert), myuujikaru (musical)Learn alongside: kaimono ni iku, asobi ni iku, sanpo ni iku, karaoke ni iku, tsuri ni iku (Stage 4), kyanpu ni iku (Stage 4), ohanami ni iku (Stage 4)Main list: -nai? (Stage 4), shuumatsu (Stage 2), -ni iku / -ni kuru (Stage 4)
sanpo ni iku
polite sanpo ni ikimasugo for a walk
散歩に行く さんぽにいく 散歩に行きます
verbiku 行くgo; with an activity noun + ni, go out to do ittypical 19% of sanpo
trap Not sanpo o toru, copied from 'take a walk': you go on one (sanpo ni iku) or just do one (sanpo suru). With a dog it is inu no sanpo ni iku, never inu o aruku.
Said when popping out for a walk, often as chotto sanpo itte kuru (I'm off for a little walk). Casual speech drops ni. sanpo suru puts the focus on the walk itself and takes the place you walk through with o: kouen o sanpo shita.
chotto sanpo itte kuru ne.
I'm just popping out for a walk.
ちょっと散歩行ってくるね。
chotto sanpo ni itte kimasu ne.
I'm just going out for a walk.
ちょっと散歩に行ってきますね。
Walking the dog is inu no sanpo (ni iku); aimless wandering about town is burabura suru.
Same verb: jogingu (jogging), ranningu (running)Learn alongside: kaimono ni iku, asobi ni iku, eiga ni iku, karaoke ni iku, tsuri ni iku (Stage 4), kyanpu ni iku (Stage 4), ohanami ni iku (Stage 4)Main list: -ni iku / -ni kuru (Stage 4), -te kuru (Stage 4), chotto (Stage 1)
karaoke ni iku
polite karaoke ni ikimasugo to karaoke
カラオケに行く カラオケにいく カラオケに行きます
verbiku 行くgo; with an activity noun + ni, go out to do ittypical 36% of karaoke
trap karaoke is where you sing, so the usual phrasing is karaoke de utau, karaoke suru, or just karaoke iku. karaoke o utau, copied from 'sing karaoke', is heard but sounds off to many speakers.
Usually a plan or an invitation (karaoke ikanai?), often as the second stop after dinner. Casual speech drops ni: karaoke iku.
kinou karaoke itte, koe kareta.
Went to karaoke yesterday and lost my voice.
昨日カラオケ行って、声枯れた。
kinou karaoke ni itte, koe ga karemashita.
I went to karaoke yesterday and lost my voice.
昨日カラオケに行って、声が枯れました。
At a work do, karaoke is the classic nijikai (second stop); going alone is hitori karaoke, or the slang hitokara.
Same verb: bouringu (bowling), geesen (game arcade), nijikai (second round)Learn alongside: kaimono ni iku, asobi ni iku, eiga ni iku, sanpo ni iku, tsuri ni iku (Stage 4), kyanpu ni iku (Stage 4), ohanami ni iku (Stage 4)Main list: -ni iku / -ni kuru (Stage 4), -nai? (Stage 4)