Quick question on いく and くる

[Princesskana]

at the end of chapter three, there is an expression note about いく and くる that I did not fully understand. So, If I was to say... 私はあなたをいきます。 would that mean that I am coming to you or would I use the other one? The way that it was worded in the book was a little awkward for me... I am just a bit confused. but hey, I finally learned how to type Japanese on my computer so I can actually ask questions!

[chikara]

at the end of chapter three, there is an expression note about いく and くる that I did not fully understand. So, If I was to say... 私はあなたをいきます。 would that mean that I am coming to you or would I use the other one? ....

With motion verbs use the particle に not を.

私はあなたにいきます means "I go to you", 私はあなたにきます means "I come to you".

If you want to say I am coming to you you would say 私はきあなたにいっています, ie verb~te + iru/imasu

.... but hey, I finally learned how to type Japanese on my computer so I can actually ask questions!

おめでとう

Edit: Cut paste turned into drag drop Thanks SS-san

[ss]

Chikaraさん、maybe you mean 君(きみ） or あなた
きあなた？ << あれ何？


I think sometimes people try to avoid over explaining things because Iku and kuru tend to get a little confusing at times. Just gather as many examples or dialogue conversation as you can and things will begin to make sense.

You're right in this いく when you say you're going to someone
You to friend >> I'm coming (to you) right now 　「今、行くよ。。。。」

くる
when you're playing online game with your friend, you invite them to room 10, for example
You to friend >> Please come to room 10 「ルーム10に来てください」

[chikara]

Chikaraさん、maybe you mean 君(きみ） or あなた
きあなた？ << あれ何？ ....

あなた it should have been.

どうも

[keatonatron]

私はあなたにきます means "I come to you".

This is a bit confusing because "I come to you" is perfectly fine in English.

In Japanese, いく can only mean away from yourself, whereas くる can only mean towards yourself.

[JaySee]

As a side note, I don't think it's possible with 'iku' and 'kuru' to have the destination be a person - it needs to be a location. So while 田中さんの家に行きます is correct, 田中さんに行きます would be a mistake.

If you want to say you're going to see/meet a person, you could for example use a construction like 田中さんに会いに行きます.

[Mike Cash]

As a side note, I don't think it's possible with 'iku' and 'kuru' to have the destination be a person - it needs to be a location. So while 田中さんの家に行きます is correct, 田中さんに行きます would be a mistake.

If you want to say you're going to see/meet a person, you could for example use a construction like 田中さんに会いに行きます.

You are correct.

Another (common) way of addressing this is the use of のところに (田中さんのところに行きます）

[ss]

Keat wrote:
In Japanese, いく can only mean away from yourself, whereas くる can only mean towards yourself.

Princesskana,

Genki page 64, under expression notes, they are giving extra note on this iku and kuru, notice that it states:
When you move to a place where the hearer is, you say "I'm coming" in English.
However, in the same situation, 私は行きます is used in Japanese.
来る is a movement toward a place where the speaker is
行く is a movement in a direction away from the speaker.

If you move on to chapter 6, you'll notice there is a 会話 "On The Bus" where
おばあさん asked Robert ---- ｢あの、すみません、このバスは市民病院へ行きますか。」(Excuse me, does this bus go to the City Hospital?)
Robert answered --- ｢ええ、行きますよ。。。。。あの、おばあさん、どうぞ座ってください。」(Yes, it does. Takes this seat .......)

You get it now?

Wanna try this? How do you say
1) I came to Japan last year.
2) I went to Japan last year.

[Yudan Taiteki]

In Japanese, いく can only mean away from yourself, whereas くる can only mean towards yourself.

Unfortunately I don't think it's quite that simple -- the reference point of くる is not always yourself. I can be at home, call school, and say 田中さんきましたか？ In this case, I'm not asking if Tanaka-san came to where I am. Or if I am asking about a friend's party, I can ask if people きた, when I wasn't there.

I'm not sure how to actually explain the use of くる vs. いく. It can't have anything to do with the speaker, because in the party example, I can ask if people will くる (or did きた), no matter whether I am going to the party or not.

(Although I suppose that in this case it's movement to the person you're talking to; I'm not sure if
くる can ever be used with movement to a third person.)

[ss]

Seriously, iku and kuru can be confusing typically when at later stage you have to deal with "take this along", "bring this along", "take this there", "bring it here".

Please give OP some time to digest and see what s/he can absorb so far. ^_^''

[keatonatron]

I can be at home, call school, and say 田中さんきましたか？ In this case, I'm not asking if Tanaka-san came to where I am. Or if I am asking about a friend's party, I can ask if people きた, when I wasn't there.

In these examples, you are projecting yourself. When you call the school, your voice is at the school, in which case "towards the speaker" is (literally!!) true.

The second example is somewhat similar... you are speaking as if you had been at the party (vicariously through your friend, perhaps).

In simply speaking to someone, you make them a part of the same group as you, similar to the くれる/あげる rules. The basic directions now apply to both of you, because you are in the same group. The only problem is, now that we have long distance communication (telephones, email), direction is no longer based solely on physical location.

[Princesskana]

thank you guys for the answers

:

Wanna try this? How do you say
1) I came to Japan last year.
2) I went to Japan last year.

Is it....　
1.) さく私はにほんにくました。
2.)さくわたしはにほんいきました。

I never really worked with past tense before so this could get interesting...

[ss]

Is it....　
1.) さく私はにほんにくました。
2.)さくわたしはにほんいきました。

I never really worked with past tense before so this could get interesting...

That wasn't bad for a first attempt.

How did you come across this さく？
さく by itself doesn't mean "last year", give it a try again?

Try look up 来る in Jim Breen's WWWJDIC (click on the word search).
See the conjugation table? >>> 来る(plain)/来ます(polite)、来た(plain past)/_____ (polite past)

1.) さく私はにほんにくました。
2.) さくわたしはにほん____いきました。

Give it a try again? がんばってください！

[Princesskana]

Attempt number two (I use denshi Jisho as my dictionary but I used something that wasn't a noun...) Is that right now? It wasn't right because the stem had to change from ku to ki and I did not put the last year part in the right spot correct?

1.) わたしはさくねんにほんにきました。
2.)　わたしはさくねんにほんにいきました。

[ss]

<拍手>

Maybe you have learned "去年" (kyonen), just for your info.

As you move on with Genki, you'll grasp the basic concept of "to come" or "to go" from the various example sentences or dialogue lessons, they serve as the contextual clues to see a variety of usage. The extra footnote is explaining why you hear "I'm coming" in Japanese sometimes. I think we understand, at this initial stage, it's rather common to confuse things like "I'm coming..." and "I'm going...." . Refer back to this thread when you encounter something else confusing, that's what the rest of the posts here are leading you to the right track.

Keep it up!