How to Say Let's Go in Japanese: Ikō, Ikimashō and Iku Zo

The two core forms

Every version of let's go starts from one of two forms. Ikō is casual and used with friends, family and people younger than you. Ikimashō is polite and suits colleagues, acquaintances and groups.

Both are statements: they propose going and assume agreement. That is perfect when the decision has already been made and you are simply starting to move.

Turning it into a suggestion

Adding ka softens the proposal into a question: shall we go? This is often the more considerate version, because it checks that everyone is ready.

For a real invitation, when the other person has not agreed to anything yet, the negative question form is the natural choice. It asks whether they would like to come rather than assuming it.

Getting a group moving

When it is time to leave, a few small words set the pace. Sā adds a sense of now, sorosoro means it is about time, and jā marks the transition from talking to going.

Shuppatsu means departure and sounds organised and cheerful. You will hear it from tour guides, teachers on school trips and families setting off on holiday.

Iku yo, iku zo and ike

Iku yo uses the plain form with yo to announce that you are going, often as a nudge to someone who is dawdling. Iku zo does the same with more force and a rough, masculine edge, the kind of line a team captain shouts before a match.

Yoshi, ikō is a self-motivating let's do this, and ike is the command form, go, used mainly for cheering.

Let's eat, let's start, let's go home

The same pattern works with any verb, so once you have ikō and ikimashō, you have a whole family of let's phrases. The casual form ends in ō or yō, and the polite form in mashō.

These phrases come up constantly in daily life, and several have become fixed expressions, such as ganbarō, let's do our best.

The full grammar of this form, including its use for I think I will, is covered in the guide to the volitional form.

Saying let's not

Suggesting that you do not go uses a different construction, because Japanese rarely says let's not directly. Yamete okō means let's hold off, and mata kondo ni shiyō postpones to another time.

Both sound cooperative rather than negative, which keeps the plan-making friendly.

Matching the line to the moment

The right let's go depends on who you are with and whether the plan is already decided.

In conversation with your AI Sensei, the reply changes depending on whether you invited, suggested or announced, so you learn the difference in tone by hearing the response.