verb (directional complement) HSK 3
Traditional 進去
jìn
to go in · to enter · to get in

Meaning

进去 is a directional complement combining 进 (to enter) and 去 (to go). It indicates movement from outside to inside, away from the speaker's position. This is one of the most common directional complements in Mandarin, used whenever someone or something enters a space or location.

Usage

Native speakers use 进去 after action verbs to show the direction of movement into a space. It's very common in everyday speech. The complement 去 indicates the action moves away from the speaker. Compare with 进来 (enter, coming toward the speaker). Often appears with verbs like 走 (walk), 跑 (run), 拿 (take), or 看 (look).

Examples

  1. 01
    进去坐吧。
    Qǐng jìn zuò ba.
    Please go in and have a seat.
  2. 02
    他走进去看了看。
    zǒu jìn kàn le kàn.
    He walked in and took a look.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 进去
    zǒu jìn
    to walk in
  • 进去
    pǎo jìn
    to run in
  • 进去
    kàn jìn
    to look inside
  • 进去
    jìn
    to take in

Antonyms

Origin

进去 is formed from two basic directional verbs. 进 originally depicted a bird entering a nest. 去 shows a person leaving. Together they create a compound directional complement indicating movement into a space away from the speaker.

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