What does 去 mean in Japanese?
去 means “leave, past” in Japanese. You will often see it in practical words such as 去年 (last year), 過去 (the past), and 去る (to leave).
For learners, the key is to study 去 through real vocabulary. The examples below show how the kanji works in words, sentences, and related kanji.
Reading
On’yomi: キョ (kyo), コ (ko)
Kun’yomi: さ-る (sa-ru)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 去 |
|---|
How to Understand This Kanji
去 is not limited to one English translation. In 去年 (きょねん), it means last year; in 過去 (かこ), it points to the past; and in 去る (さる), it is used for to leave. Reading these compounds side by side helps you understand the range of the kanji.
Common Words
- 去年（きょねん / kyonen） — last year
- 過去（かこ / kako） — the past
- 去る（さる / saru） — to leave
- 消去（しょうきょ / shōkyo） — deletion
- 除去（じょきょ / jokyo） — removal
- 立ち去る（たちさる / tachisaru） — to go away
Example Sentences
-
去年は日本へ行きました。
きょねんはにほんへいきました。 / Kyonen wa Nihon e ikimashita.
I went to Japan last year.
-
過去の写真を見ました。
かこのしゃしんをみました。 / Kako no shashin o mimashita.
I looked at old photos from the past.
-
彼は静かに部屋を去りました。
かれはしずかにへやをさりました。 / Kare wa shizuka ni heya o sarimashita.
He quietly left the room.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Start with 去年 (きょねん / kyonen) because it keeps the core meaning of 去 clear. Then add 過去 and 去る to see how the reading and meaning shift in real vocabulary. Do not memorize 去 as a single English word; connect it to actual words and example sentences.
Summary
去 means “leave, past” and appears in useful Japanese words such as 去年, 過去, and 去る.