- 1 Iku vs Kuru: The Difference Between 行く and 来る in Japanese
- 1.1 Iku meaning: what does 行く mean?
- 1.2 Kuru meaning in Japanese: what does 来る mean?
- 1.3 The viewpoint rule behind iku and kuru
- 1.4 Why Japanese says 今行く for “I’m coming”
- 1.5 Common situations
- 1.6 Iku and kuru conjugation
- 1.7 Pronunciation of iku and kuru
- 1.8 V-ていく and V-てくる
- 1.9 持って行く vs 持って来る
- 1.10 Other meanings and fixed expressions
- 1.11 Common mistakes
- 1.12 Mini quiz
- 1.13 FAQ
- 1.14 Summary
- 1.15 Related guides
- 1.16 References
Iku vs Kuru: The Difference Between 行く and 来る in Japanese
Meta description: Learn iku and kuru in Japanese: meanings, pronunciation, conjugation, the Japanese viewpoint behind go vs come, and natural example sentences.
行く (iku) = go; move away from the current or chosen reference point.
来る (kuru) = come; move toward the current or chosen reference point.
English often chooses “come” from the listener’s viewpoint. Japanese usually keeps the speaker’s or narrative reference point.
Iku meaning: what does 行く mean?
行く（いく, iku） means “to go,” “to proceed,” or “to move toward a destination.” It is a Group 1 verb.
毎日、学校に行きます。
Mainichi, gakkō ni ikimasu.
I go to school every day.
来年、日本へ行きたいです。
Rainen, Nihon e ikitai desu.
I want to go to Japan next year.
The destination is commonly marked by に or へ. に emphasizes the destination; へ emphasizes direction, though they overlap in basic movement sentences.
Kuru meaning in Japanese: what does 来る mean?
来る（くる, kuru） means “to come,” “to arrive,” or “to approach.” It is irregular.
友達がうちに来ます。
Tomodachi ga uchi ni kimasu.
A friend is coming to my house.
バスが来ました。
Basu ga kimashita.
The bus came / The bus has arrived.
The viewpoint rule behind iku and kuru
Imagine an arrow and a reference point:
Reference point → destination elsewhere: 行く
Elsewhere → reference point: 来る
The reference point is often where the speaker is now, but it may also be the place where the speaker will be in the scene being discussed.
Someone moves toward the speaker: 来る
こっちに来てください。
Kocchi ni kite kudasai.
Please come here.
The speaker moves to another place: 行く
今からそっちに行きます。
Ima kara socchi ni ikimasu.
I’m coming over there now. Literally: I will go there now.
Why Japanese says 今行く for “I’m coming”
Suppose your friend is waiting outside and calls:
早く来て！
Hayaku kite!
Come quickly!
You answer:
今行く！
Ima iku!
I’m coming now!
Your friend uses 来る because your movement is toward the friend’s location. You use 行く because you are leaving your present location. Each speaker describes the same movement from a different viewpoint.
Common situations
Going to a party
明日のパーティーに行きますか。
Ashita no pātī ni ikimasu ka.
Are you going to tomorrow’s party?
田中さんもパーティーに来ます。
Tanaka-san mo pātī ni kimasu.
Tanaka is also coming to the party.
The second sentence can use 来る when the speaker treats the party as the shared reference point—for example, the speaker is hosting or expects to be there.
Going home and coming home
六時に家に帰ります。
Roku-ji ni ie ni kaerimasu.
I will go home at six.
父が帰って来ました。
Chichi ga kaette kimashita.
My father came home.
帰る means “return.” Adding 来る presents the return as movement toward the speaker or reference point.
Online meetings and calls
Even without physical travel, Japanese may use 来る when someone enters a shared space or event:
あとでオンライン会議に来られますか。
Ato de onrain kaigi ni koraremasu ka.
Can you come to the online meeting later?
However, 参加する (to participate) is often clearer for online events.
Iku and kuru conjugation
| Form | 行く (iku) | 来る (kuru) |
|---|---|---|
| Polite | 行きます | 来ます（きます） |
| Negative | 行かない | 来ない（こない） |
| Past | 行った | 来た（きた） |
| て-form | 行って | 来て（きて） |
| Potential | 行ける | 来られる（こられる） |
| Volitional | 行こう | 来よう（こよう） |
| Command | 行け | 来い（こい） |
行く is a Group 1 verb, but its て-form is 行って and its plain past is 行った. Do not say 行いて or 行いた.
Pronunciation of iku and kuru
行く is written いく and is commonly romanized iku. In fast speech, the final Japanese う-like vowel may sound light to English ears.
来る is written くる and romanized kuru. Keep the two morae even: く・る. Avoid turning it into the English word “crew.”
The kanji reading changes across 来る forms: 来る is くる, 来ます is きます, and 来ない is こない. This is one reason 来る is classified as irregular.
V-ていく and V-てくる
After another verb’s て-form, 行く and 来る can describe movement, change, or time.
V-ていく: action moves away or continues from now forward
飲み物を買って行きます。
Nomimono o katte ikimasu.
I will buy drinks and take them there.
これから日本語を勉強していきます。
Kore kara Nihongo o benkyō shite ikimasu.
I will continue studying Japanese from now on.
V-てくる: action comes toward here or change reaches the present
飲み物を買って来ます。
Nomimono o katte kimasu.
I will go buy drinks and come back with them.
だんだん寒くなってきました。
Dandan samuku natte kimashita.
It has gradually become colder.
持って行く vs 持って来る
| Expression | Core image | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| 持って行く | carry something away/to another place | take |
| 持って来る | carry something toward here/the reference point | bring |
傘を持って行ってください。
Kasa o motte itte kudasai.
Please take an umbrella with you.
パーティーにケーキを持って来ました。
Pātī ni kēki o motte kimashita.
I brought a cake to the party.
Other meanings and fixed expressions
うまくいく: to go well
面接はうまくいきました。
Mensetsu wa umaku ikimashita.
The interview went well.
行ってきます: I’m leaving and coming back
行ってきます。
Itte kimasu.
I’m off / I’m leaving and will come back.
The standard reply is 行ってらっしゃい, roughly “See you; take care.”
やってくる: to come along/arrive
春がやって来ました。
Haru ga yatte kimashita.
Spring has arrived.
Common mistakes
1. Translating every English “come” as 来る
When you leave your current place to reach the listener, Japanese usually uses 行く.
2. Saying 行いて
The correct て-form is 行って.
3. Reading every 来 as ku
Learn the whole conjugated form: 来る (kuru), 来ます (kimasu), 来ない (konai), 来て (kite), and 来た (kita).
4. Ignoring the reference point
At shared future events, the speaker’s expected location can influence the choice. Context—not a one-word translation—determines the most natural verb.
Mini quiz
- Your friend is at their house. You are leaving your house to visit them: 今からそっちに（行く／来る）。
- You are at home and a friend is moving toward your home: 友達がうちに（行く／来る）。
- You will buy coffee and return to the office: コーヒーを買って（行く／来る）。
- You will take documents from the office to a client: 書類を持って（行く／来る）。
Answers
1. 行く 2. 来る 3. 来る 4. 行く
FAQ
What does iku mean in Japanese?
行く (iku) primarily means “to go.” It can also appear in expressions such as うまくいく, “to go well.”
What does kuru mean in Japanese?
来る (kuru) primarily means “to come.” It also helps express movement toward a reference point and changes that have developed up to the present.
Why does Japanese use iku for “I’m coming”?
Japanese usually describes the speaker moving away from the speaker’s current location, so 今行く is the natural response when leaving to meet someone.
Is kuru irregular?
Yes. Its stem readings change: くる, きます, こない, きて, and きた.
What is the difference between motte iku and motte kuru?
持って行く means “take,” carrying something away to another location. 持って来る means “bring,” carrying it toward the reference point.
Iku or Kuru? The Viewpoint Check
Both can mean “go/come” in English, but Japanese always anchors to the speaker’s own position.
Someone or something moves to the speaker’s position
The speaker (or subject) moves away from here
e.g. 変わっていく – it will keep changing
e.g. 慣れてきた – I have gotten used to it
※ This is why texting a friend “I’m coming!” is 今行く in Japanese, not 来る — you are still speaking from your own side of the movement.
Summary
● 行く: movement away from the current/chosen reference point.
● 来る: movement toward the current/chosen reference point.
● English “I’m coming” is often Japanese 今行く.
● 行く has the exceptional forms 行って and 行った.
● V-ていく and V-てくる extend the same directional idea to actions, time, and change.
Related guides
100 Most Common Japanese Verbs
Aru vs Iru
Suru Meaning and Common Suru Verbs
References
Japan Foundation, Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan (Irodori Grammar Notes), beginner materials featuring 行く, 来る, and V-て行きます／来ます. Example sentences in this article are original.
