Key Facts
- Hangul: 가다 (gada)
- Meaning: to go
- Level: A1
- Stem: 가
- Class: regular
- Objects: intransitive
- Honorific polite: 가세요
What Does 가다 Mean?
가다 covers one core sense: moving away from the speaker or to another place, as in 학교에 가다. It is one of the most frequent verbs in Korean. The destination is marked with 에, or with 에게/한테 when the destination is a person. The verb is intransitive, so the destination normally takes 에 rather than 을/를; in casual speech you will also hear 학교를 가요, where 를 adds emphasis. For a respected subject the honorific polite form is 가세요.
In brief:
- to go. Move away from the speaker or to another place, as in 학교에 가다 (go to school).
How Do You Pronounce 가다?
가다 is read as written, gada, and so are 가요, 가면 and 가서. In the past forms the ㅆ under 갔 is pronounced at the start of the next syllable as a tense ss, so 갔어요 sounds like [가써요]. In 갑니다 the ㅂ before ㄴ turns into an m sound.
How the main forms sound:
- 갔어요 [가써요]
- 갈 거예요 [갈꺼예요]
- 가겠어요 [가게써요]
- 갑니다 [감니다]
- 갔습니다 [갇씀니다]
- 갈 것입니다 [갈꺼심니다]
- 갔어 [가써]
- 갈 거야 [갈꺼야]
- 가고 싶어요 [가고 시퍼요]
- 가지 않아요 [가지 아나요]
How Do You Use 가다 in a Sentence?
저는 매일 학교에 가요.
I go to school every day.
A habit with a fixed destination: 매일 (every day) plus the place and 에. The polite present 가요 is the form to copy for daily routines. (가요)
어제 친구 집에 갔어요.
I went to my friend's house yesterday.
A one-off trip in the past. 갔어요 is 가 plus the past marker, and 친구 집에 shows that a person's house is still marked with 에, as in 학교에. (갔어요)
주말에 바다에 가고 싶어요.
I want to go to the sea on the weekend.
A wish. 가고 싶어요 attaches the want-to ending to the bare stem, so the destination 바다에 stays in front of it. (가고 싶어요)
How Does Gada Conjugation Work?
가다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 가요 | ||
| Polite past | 갔어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 갈 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 가겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 갑니다 | ||
| Formal past | 갔습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 갈 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 가 | ||
| Casual past | 갔어 | ||
| Casual future | 갈 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 가고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 가세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 가서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 가면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 가는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 간 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 갈 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 가요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 가지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 가요 | as written |
| Polite past | 갔어요 | [가써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 갈 거예요 | [갈꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 가겠어요 | [가게써요] |
| Formal present | 갑니다 | [감니다] |
| Formal past | 갔습니다 | [갇씀니다] |
| Formal future | 갈 것입니다 | [갈꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 가 | as written |
| Casual past | 갔어 | [가써] |
| Casual future | 갈 거야 | [갈꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 가고 싶어요 | [가고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 가세요 | as written |
| Because / and then | 가서 | as written |
| Conditional (if) | 가면 | as written |
| Modifier, present | 가는 | as written |
| Modifier, past | 간 | as written |
| Modifier, future | 갈 | as written |
| Short negative | 안 가요 | as written |
| Long negative | 가지 않아요 | [가지 아나요] |
Is 가다 Regular or Irregular?
가다 is regular. The stem 가 ends in a vowel with no consonant to change, so adding the ending 아 simply merges into the single syllable 가: no extra letter appears in 가요. The past 갔어요 and the future 갈 거예요 both just add a final consonant to the stem syllable. For the pattern behind it, see polite present recipe.
Common Mistake with 가다
Wrong: ✗ 학교에서 가요 (meant as 'I go to school')
Correct: ✓ 학교에 가요
Why: 에서 marks where an action happens or where you start from, so 학교에서 가요 sounds like 'I leave from school'. The destination of 가다 takes 에.
Learners who have just met 에서 in sentences like 'I study at school' tend to reuse it for every place. With verbs of movement, ask whether the place is the goal (에) or the setting (에서). Casual, not wrong: 학교를 가요 is common in everyday speech, but 학교에 가요 is the neutral form to learn first.
가다 Versus 오다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 오다 | 가다 moves away from the speaker or toward the listener's place; 오다 moves toward the speaker. Direction is the whole difference. |
| 다니다 | 다니다 means going to a place regularly, such as school or work; 가다 is a single trip, which is why 어제 친구 집에 갔어요 uses 가다. |
Choosing a Weekend Outing
Two coworkers discuss a trip to Busan. One has visited before, but both are considering going this weekend.
Jisu
주말에 부산에 가요?
Jumare Busane gayo?
Are you going to Busan this weekend?
Alex
네, 가고 싶어요.
Ne, gago sipeoyo.
Yes, I’d like to go.
Jisu
저는 작년에 갔어요.
Jeoneun jangnyeone gasseoyo.
I went last year.
Alex
이번에는 같이 가요.
Ibeoneneun gachi gayo.
Let’s go together this time.
가요 asks about a future trip in the opening question because 주말에 supplies the time. The same form becomes an invitation in 같이 가요. 가고 싶어요 expresses a wish, so Alex has not yet made a firm travel promise. 갔어요 supplies Jisu’s earlier experience.
Travel Phrases and Everyday Expressions
같이 가요 means “Let’s go together” when offered as an invitation. In a report about two people’s routine, the same words can mean “We go together.” The ending is unchanged; who says it and what the conversation is doing supply the difference.
먼저 갈게요 means “I’ll go ahead” or “I’ll be leaving first.” You will hear it when someone leaves a gathering or workplace before the others. 먼저 explains the order of departure. It does not ask everyone else to leave too.
안녕히 가세요 is a farewell to someone who is leaving. The person staying says it to the departing person. If the other person stays while you leave, the matching farewell uses 계세요 instead. The movement in 가세요 helps you remember whose situation the phrase describes.
시간이 가다 means “time passes.” Here time is moving figuratively. 시간이 가요 therefore needs no physical destination. This use appears in everyday reflections and song lyrics, where translating 가다 as only a person's trip would miss the meaning.
What Makes Such a Short Verb Tricky?
English speakers sometimes say “I’m coming” when agreeing to move to the listener's location. Korean commonly keeps 가다 for that movement away from the speaker's current position. Before translating an English “come,” place yourself on the map and identify where the movement starts.
A destination, a route and a means of transport are different parts of a journey. 학교에 names a goal; 버스로 names travel by bus. In this use, (으)로 answers “how?” rather than replacing the destination. A sentence can include both without giving the bus the role of destination.
Keep a space in 안 가요 and 가고 싶어요. For the future, 갈 거예요 has a space before 거예요. The stem itself stays short: 가요 does not need an extra 아 syllable after 가, even though the pattern uses an 아 ending.
| Related word | Meaning | Connection to going |
|---|---|---|
| 목적지 | destination | The place you are trying to reach. |
| 왕복 | round trip | Useful when planning both the outward and return journeys. |
| 편도 | one way | A ticket for one direction only. |
| 교통편 | transport option / connection | Helps discuss how you will get there. |
Use the transportation vocabulary lesson for ticket and journey words. These nouns make a travel question more precise than asking only whether someone is going.
Mini Drill: Make a Trip Sentence
- Complete the destination: 학교___ 가요.
- Give the polite past of 가다.
- Give the future plan form, including its space.
- Give the short negative.
Show trip drill answers
- 학교에 가요.
- 갔어요.
- 갈 거예요.
- 안 가요.
Quick Self-Test
- In 안녕히 가세요, who is leaving?
- Does 가고 싶어요 by itself confirm a firm travel plan?
- Does 시간이 가다 describe a literal journey to a destination?
Show answers
- The person receiving the farewell.
- No. It expresses wanting to go.
- No. It means that time passes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does 가다 Take 에 and Not 을/를?
가다 is a verb of movement, so the place is a destination marked with 에 (학교에 가요). A person as the destination takes 에게 or 한테. In casual speech you will hear 학교를 가요 too, but 에 is the neutral choice.
What Is the Honorific Form of 가다?
The honorific polite form is 가세요, used when the person going deserves respect, for example a teacher or a customer.
What Does 가고 싶어요 Mean?
It is the polite want-to form, 'I want to go'. The example 주말에 바다에 가고 싶어요 means 'I want to go to the sea on the weekend.'
Which Verb Should I Use for Regular Attendance?
Use 다니다. It means going to a place regularly, such as school or work, while 가다 describes a single trip.
Which Words Are Related to 가다?
- 오다
- 다니다
- 돌아가다
- 나가다
- Dictionary
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare direction by reading the 오다 entry next. After that, 돌아가다 and 나가다 show how 가다 combines with other words. Test any form in the Korean verb conjugator.