One of the first verbs we learn in Chinese is 去, “to go”. This covers a great many everyday situations, such as “I’m going to Beijing”, “I went to eat lunch” etc. etc. But how about when the focus is more on the departure itself?

This post covers the differences between 去, 走, 离开, 出发 and 出国, all of which can be used when you’re taking leave of one sort or another, from exiting a room to leaving the country.

Learn these and you’ll really be going places with your Chinese (pun intended. sorry…)





去 / qù

As the below examples show, with the verb 去 (to go) you can specify a noun or another verb afterwards, to explain where you’ll be going or what you’ll be doing when you go. Example sentences:

明天我会去广州

Míngtiān wǒ huì qù guǎngzhōu

I will go to Guangzhou tomorrow





Míngtiān wǒ huì qù guǎngzhōu I will go to Guangzhou tomorrow 上个周末我去看望我妈妈了

Shàng ge zhōumò wǒ qù kànwàng wǒ māmā le.

Last weekend I went to visit my mother.





Shàng ge zhōumò wǒ qù kànwàng wǒ māmā le. Last weekend I went to visit my mother. 我要去食堂吃午饭

Wǒ yào qù shítáng chī wǔfàn.

I’m going to the canteen to eat lunch.





走 / zǒu



走 means “to leave” and places emphasis on the actual departure. It’s about generally making your exit, so unlike 去 you cannot specify a place or person after this verb. Example sentences:

我们走吧.

Women zǒu ba.

Let’s leave (i.e. let’s get out of here; often used in offices at around lunchtime!)





Women zǒu ba. Let’s leave (i.e. let’s get out of here; often used in offices at around lunchtime!) 他刚走了.

Tā gāng zǒu le.

He just left.





Tā gāng zǒu le. He just left. 我先走了.

Wǒ xiān zǒu le.

I’m leaving (literally “I go first”, say this when making a polite exit while others remain).



Image: www.flickr.com/photos/safaa35



离开 / líkāi

离开 also means “to leave”, but unlike 走 this verb implies permanence. You can 离开 a job, leave a person (i.e. a spouse), or leave a city to move elsewhere. With 离开 you can specify a place, person, company/job after this verb. Example sentences:

不要离开我。我爱你!

Bùyào líkāi wǒ. Wǒ ài nǐ!

Don’t leave me. I love you!





Bùyào líkāi wǒ. Wǒ ài nǐ! Don’t leave me. I love you! 月末我会离开公司.

Yuèmò wǒ huì líkāi gōngsī.

I’m leaving the company at the end of the month.





Yuèmò wǒ huì líkāi gōngsī. I’m leaving the company at the end of the month. 自从他离开北京，我再也没有见过他.

Zìcóng tā líkāi Běijīng, wǒ zài yě méiyǒu jiànguò tā.

I haven’t seen him since he left Beijing.

image: labradorpassage.com

出发 / chūfā

出发 means to start out or set off. It’s another verb that emphasizes the departure, but only in the context of going on a trip or journey etc.

Example sentences:

你整理好了吗？ 明天我要早些出发.

Nǐ zhěnglǐ hǎole ma? Míngtiān wǒ yào zǎo xiē chūfā.

Are you all packed? I want to start out early tomorrow.





Nǐ zhěnglǐ hǎole ma? Míngtiān wǒ yào zǎo xiē chūfā. Are you all packed? I want to start out early tomorrow. 这次旅行我们计划了很久。终于到了出发的时间了.

Zhè cì lǚxíng wǒmen jìhuàle hěnjiǔ. Zhōngyú dàoliao chūfā de shíjiānle.

We’ve been planning this trip for so long. Finally it’s time to set off.



Zhè cì lǚxíng wǒmen jìhuàle hěnjiǔ. Zhōngyú dàoliao chūfā de shíjiānle. We’ve been planning this trip for so long. Finally it’s time to set off. 我们出发时并没有预计到这么多问题.

Wǒmen chūfā shí bìng méiyǒu yùjì dào zhème duō wèntí.

When we set off, we didn’t anticipate so many problems.



出国 / chūguó

This means to leave a country, go abroad or emigrate. There is definitely a sense of permanence here too. Example sentences:

我 打算 出国 留学

I intend to study abroad.





I intend to study abroad. 她和她丈夫出国了.

She and her husband left the country.



We hope this clarifies matters, so next time you can articulate exactly which kind of departure you’re making in Mandarin! Feel free to leave questions in the comments section.

Post by Sarah Soulie

Twitter @Suxiaoya