Coming and going

Stage 1General verbsChunk 18 of 26 · items 78–83 of 484

The motion verbs for plans and arrivals: go, come, go home, come back, leave, enter.

Mix-ups

iku/kuru follow the speaker's position, so 'I'll come to your party' is iku yo; kaeru means back to home or base while modoru means back to where you just were.

iku

polite ikimasudrama rank #40

go

行く いくPlay 行きますPlay

Going anywhere, asking about plans (iku?) and inviting (ikou), with the destination marked by ni or e; te-form and past are irregular (itte, itta).

casualPlay

ashita no paatii iku?

Are you going to the party tomorrow?

明日のパーティー行く？

politePlay

ashita no paatii ni ikimasu ka?

Are you going to the party tomorrow?

明日のパーティーに行きますか？

Heading to the listener is iku: ima iku ne = 'coming now'.

Learn alongside: kuru, -te kuru (Stage 4), -te iku (Stage 4), -ni iku / -ni kuru (Stage 4)

kuru

polite kimasudrama rank #52

come

来る くるPlay 来ますPlay

Movement toward the speaker or the place being talked about (kite!, kita!), and it is irregular: kita, konai, kite.

casualPlay

ashita no paatii kuru?

Are you coming to the party tomorrow?

明日のパーティー来る？

politePlay

ashita no paatii ni kimasu ka?

Are you coming to the party tomorrow?

明日のパーティーに来ますか？

The host asks kuru?; the guest answers iku yo.

Learn alongside: iku, -te kuru (Stage 4), -te iku (Stage 4), -ni iku / -ni kuru (Stage 4)

kaeru

polite kaerimasudrama rank #101

go home; return

帰る かえるPlay 帰りますPlay

Going back home or to your base such as your hometown or country (mou kaeru), and it is godan: kaette, kaetta.

casualPlay

nanji ni kaeru?

What time are you heading home?

何時に帰る？

politePlay

nanji ni kaerimasu ka?

What time are you going home?

何時に帰りますか？

Looks ichidan but is godan (kaette); kaeru 'change' is ichidan (kaete).

Learn alongside: modoru

modoru

polite modorimasudrama rank #166

come back; go back

戻る もどるPlay 戻りますPlay

Returning to where you just were, or to a topic or earlier state (sugu modoru), without the 'home' meaning of kaeru.

casualPlay

nanji ni modoru?

What time will you be back?

何時に戻る？

politePlay

nanji ni modorimasu ka?

What time will you be back?

何時に戻りますか？

Learn alongside: kaeruLearn first: kaeru

deru

polite demasudrama rank #81

leave; go out; appear

出る でるPlay 出ますPlay

Leaving a place (ie o deru) and coming out or appearing, as in answering the phone (denwa ni deru), getting a fever (netsu ga deta) or being in a show or match.

casualPlay

mou ie deta yo.

I've already left the house.

もう家出たよ。

politePlay

mou ie o demashita yo.

I've already left the house.

もう家を出ましたよ。

Its transitive partner is dasu (put out, hand in).

Learn alongside: dasu (Stage 4)

hairu

polite hairimasudrama rank #115

enter; join; fit in

入る はいるPlay 入りますPlay

Going into a room, bath, club or company, and fitting into a container (kaban ni hairu?), with the place marked by ni.

casualPlay

mou ofuro haitta?

Have you had your bath yet?

もうお風呂入った？

politePlay

mou ofuro ni hairimashita ka?

Have you had your bath yet?

もうお風呂に入りましたか？

Godan despite the -iru ending: haitte, haitta.

Learn alongside: ireru (Stage 4)