Movement Verbs
Three essential verbs for expressing movement:
| Verb | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 行きます | ikimasu | to go |
| 来ます | kimasu | to come |
| 帰ります | kaerimasu | to return (home) |
来ます vs 行きます
来ます means movement toward the speaker's location. 行きます means movement away from the speaker.
Direction Particle: へ (e)
The particle へ (pronounced "e") indicates the direction or destination of movement.
Pattern
[place] へ 行きます/来ます/帰ります
[place] e ikimasu/kimasu/kaerimasu
Examples
学校へ行きます。
Gakkou e ikimasu.
I go to school.
日本へ来ました。
Nihon e kimashita.
I came to Japan.
うちへ帰ります。
Uchi e kaerimasu.
I'm going home.
へ vs に for Destinations
Both へ and に can mark destinations. へ emphasizes the direction, while に emphasizes the arrival point. In most cases, they're interchangeable.
Transportation: で
Use the particle で to indicate the means of transportation.
Pattern
[transportation] で 行きます
[transportation] de ikimasu
| Transportation | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Train | 電車 (densha) |
| Bus | バス (basu) |
| Subway | 地下鉄 (chikatetsu) |
| Taxi | タクシー (takushii) |
| Car | 車 (kuruma) |
| Bicycle | 自転車 (jitensha) |
| On foot | 歩いて (aruite) ⚠️ |
Examples
電車で会社へ行きます。
Densha de kaisha e ikimasu.
I go to work by train.
タクシーで空港へ行きました。
Takushii de kuukou e ikimashita.
I went to the airport by taxi.
歩いて学校へ行きます。
Aruite gakkou e ikimasu.
I walk to school.
On Foot
"On foot" uses 歩いて (aruite - walking) instead of a noun + で. This is the て-form of 歩く (aruku - to walk).
With Someone: と
Use the particle と to indicate doing something with someone.
Pattern
[person] と [verb]
[person] to [verb]
Examples
友達と映画を見ます。
Tomodachi to eiga wo mimasu.
I watch movies with friends.
家族と日本へ行きました。
Kazoku to Nihon e ikimashita.
I went to Japan with my family.
だれと来ましたか。
Dare to kimashita ka.
Who did you come with?
Asking Questions
Common question words for travel and movement:
Question Examples
どこへ行きますか。
Doko e ikimasu ka.
Where are you going?
何で来ましたか。
Nan de kimashita ka.
How did you come? (By what means?)
いつ帰りますか。
Itsu kaerimasu ka.
When will you return?