Readings: キョ, コ (Onyomi), さ.る (Kunyomi)
Meaning: Depart, leave, past, to remove
The kanji 去 depicts a person (大, which evolved to become similar to 土) walking away from a private enclosure (厶), signifying “to leave” or “to depart.”
View JLPT N4 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 去 is composed of 5 strokes. First, draw the short horizontal line at the top. Next, draw the vertical line with a hook to the left, starting from the middle of the first stroke. Then, draw the left-sloping stroke inside the “box.” Follow with the right-sloping stroke, also inside. Finally, draw the long horizontal line at the bottom, connecting the two vertical parts.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 厶 |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 5 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
| Grade | Grade 3 |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- キョ (Kyo)
- コ (Ko)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- さ.る (saru)
Common Words Using 去
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 過去 | かこ | past |
| 去年 | きょねん | last year |
| 除去 | じょきょ | removal, elimination |
| 退去 | たいきょ | leaving, evacuation |
| 去来 | きょらい | coming and going |
| 去就 | きょしゅう | one’s course of action, movements |
| 一去 | いっきょ | once gone (as in 一去不復返) |
| 永去 | えいきょ | eternal departure, death |
| 往去 | おうこ | past, bygone days |
| 帰去 | ききょ | returning and leaving (literary) |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 去る | さる | to leave, to depart, to pass (time) |
| 立ち去る | たちさる | to leave, to depart, to walk away |
| 居去る | いさる | to leave (a place) |
| 去り際 | さりぎわ | the moment of leaving |
| 去り難い | さりがたい | hard to leave |
| 取り去る | とりさる | to remove, to take away |
| 引き去る | ひきさる | to withdraw, to pull away |
| 払い去る | はらいさる | to brush away, to get rid of |
| 乗り去る | のりさる | to ride away |
| 置き去る | おきさる | to leave behind, to abandon |
Example Sentences
Japanese: 彼は昨日、日本を去りました。
Kana: かれはきのう、にほんをさりました。
Romaji: Kare wa kinou, Nihon o sarimashita.
English: He left Japan yesterday.
Japanese: 過去を振り返らないで、前向きに進みましょう。
Kana: かこをふりかえらないで、まえむきにすすみましょう。
Romaji: Kako o furikaeranai de, maemuki ni susumishou.
English: Let’s not look back at the past and move forward positively.
Japanese: 去年はとても寒い冬でした。
Kana: きょねんはとてもさむいふゆでした。
Romaji: Kyonen wa totemo samui fuyu deshita.
English: Last year was a very cold winter.
Japanese: 古い家具を部屋から除去しました。
Kana: ふるいかぐをへやからじょきょしました。
Romaji: Furui kagu o heya kara jokyo shimashita.
English: I removed the old furniture from the room.
Japanese: 彼が静かに立ち去るのを見た。
Kana: かれがしずかにたちさるのをみた。
Romaji: Kare ga shizuka ni tachisaru no o mita.
English: I saw him quietly walk away.
Japanese: 時間が経つのは早いものです。
Kana: じかんがたつのははやいものです。
Romaji: Jikan ga tatsu no wa hayai mono desu.
English: Time passes quickly.
Japanese: この汚れを取り去ってください。
Kana: このよごれをとりさってください。
Romaji: Kono yogore o torisatte kudasai.
English: Please remove this dirt.
Japanese: 彼は会社を去って独立した。
Kana: かれはかいしゃをさってどくりつした。
Romaji: Kare wa kaisha o satte dokuritsu shita.
English: He left the company and became independent.
Japanese: もうすぐ夏が去って秋が来る。
Kana: もうすぐなつがさってあきがくる。
Romaji: Mou sugu natsu ga satte aki ga kuru.
English: Soon summer will pass and autumn will come.
Japanese: 嫌な記憶を心から払い去りたい。
Kana: いやなきおくをこころからはらいさりたい。
Romaji: Iya na kioku o kokoro kara haraisaritai.
English: I want to clear bad memories from my mind.
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