English

Etymology

• go OE gâ , ME goon
• went OE wendan, ME wend, which also comes to us as wend
• gone OE egán, ME ygon possibly related to gang
• Detailed Wikipedia article on go's etymology

Pronunciation

• gō, /gəʊ/, /g@U/

  Rhymes: -əʊ

Intransitive verb

to go (third person singular goes , present participle going, past tense went, past participle gone)

1. To move from a place to another that is further away.

   Why don't you go with us?

2. To disappear.
3. To be destroyed, disintegrate.
4. To burst into laughter.
5. Of a machine, to work.
6. (followed by a preposition) To fit.

   This piece of the jigsaw goes here.

7. (followed by a preposition) To have as its/their proper place.

   My shirts go on this side of the wardrobe and my suits go on the other.

8. To take a turn in a game, etc.

   It's her turn to go.

9. (colloquial) To urinate.

   I really have to go.

Synonyms

• (move from one place to another further away): move, travel, wend , wend one's way
• (disappear): disappear, vanish
• (be destroyed): disintegrate
• (burst into laughter): burst into laughter , burst out laughing
• (work): function, work
• (fit): fit
• (have as its/their proper place): belong
• (take a turn in a game): move, make one's move, take one's turn
• (urinate): pee

Antonyms

• (move from one place to another further away):
  • (move to a nearer place): come
  • (not move): freeze, halt, remain, stand still , stay, stop
• (disappear): remain, stay

Translations

move from a place to another that is further away

disappear

be destroyed

burst into laughter See burst into laughter

work See work

fit See fit

have as its proper place See belong

take a turn

colloquial: to urinate See pee

Translations to be checked

The translations below need to be checked by native speakers and inserted into the appropriate table(s) above. The numbering is wrong.

• Catalan: anar
• Chinese: 去, 走, 达到 (1), 消失 (2), 运转 (5), 小便 (6)
• Filipino: magpatuloy
• Guarani: ha
• Hebrew: הָלַךְ, נָסַע ; עָזַב, עָבַר
• Indonesian: pergi
• Interlingua: ir, vader
• Japanese:
  • 行く (いく, iku), 去る
  • いらっしゃる (irassharu) (honorific)
  • 参る (まいる , mairu) (humble)
• Korean: 가다
• Romanian: merge, duce
• Romanica: ir, vader
• Swedish: gå (on foot), resa , åka
• Thai: pai
• Tupinambá: só
• Vietnamese: đi

Derived terms

• go about
• go against
• go around
• go away
• go back
• go begging
• go-cart , go-kart
• go down
• go for
• go in
• go into
• go like the clappers
• gone
• goner
• go off
• go out
• go out with
• go round
• go-slow
• go through with
• go to waste
• go up

Related terms

• wend

Transitive verb

to go (inflexion as for the intransitive verb)

1. To make (a specified sound).

   Cats go meow and cows go moo.

   The engine went phut and then it stopped.

2. (slang) To say (some reported speech).

   So he goes "Why?" and she goes "Just because."

Translations

make (the specified sound)

slang: to say

Noun

go (plural goes)

1. A turn at something.

   You've been on it long enough - now let your brother have a go.

2. A turn in a game.

   It's your go.

3. An attempt.

   I'll give it a go.

4. The act of urinating.

Synonyms

• (turn at something): stint
• (turn in a game): move, turn
• (attempt): attempt, bash, shot, stab, try

Translations

turn at something

turn in a game

attempt

Etymology

Noun

go

1. An East-Asian board game.

Translations

board game

Translations to be checked

The translations below need to be checked by native speakers and inserted into the appropriate table(s) above. The numbering is unreliable.

• Chinese: 轮到 (1), 尝试 (2)， 排泄 (3), 围棋 (4)
• Interlingua: vice, torno (1); tentativa (2)
• Japanese: 囲碁 , 碁 (4)
• Portuguese: vez f, turno m (1); tentativa f (2)
• Romanian: rând n (1), încercare f (2), tentativă f (2)
• Romanica: vice f, torno m (1); tentativa f (2)

See also

• Wikipedia article on go, the board game

Dutch

Noun

go n

1. go (the game)

French

Noun

go m

1. go (the game)

Synonyms

• jeu de go

Irish

Pronunciation

Conjunction

go (triggers eclipsis )

1. that (used to introduce a subordinate clause)

• Deir sé go bhfuil deifir air 'He says that he is in a hurry'

1. until

• Fan go dtiocfaidh sé 'Wait until he comes'

Particle

go (prefixes h to vowels)

1. used to make adverbs and predicative adjectives

• bheith go maith 'to be well'
• Fuair sí bás go hóg 'She died young'
• go feargach 'angrily'
• go mall aréir 'late last night'
• go leor 'enough, plenty, galore'

go (triggers eclipsis )

1. used with the subjunctive

• Go gcuidí Dia leo 'May God help them'
• Go maire tú é 'May you live to enjoy it'
• Go raibh maith agat 'Thank you'

Preposition

go (prefixes h to vowels)

1. to, till, until

• dul go Meiriceá 'to go to America'
• Fáilte go hÉirinn 'Welcome to Ireland'