01
weggehen
to leave
To leave a place; to move away from a place.
example
Ich muss jetzt weggehen, sonst verpasse ich meinen Bus.
I have to leave now, otherwise I'll miss my bus.
weggehen
to leave / go out
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Separable verb
'Weggehen' (to leave / go out) is a separable verb. The prefix 'weg-' comes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Wann gehst du heute von der Arbeit weg?
When are you leaving work today?
Perfect tense with 'sein'
As a verb that describes movement or a change of location, 'weggehen' (to leave / go out) forms the perfect tense with the auxiliary verb 'sein'. A common source of errors is using 'haben'.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist schon vor einer Stunde weggegangen.
She left an hour ago.
Colloquial meaning
In everyday language, 'weggehen' very often means going out in the evening for entertainment, for example to a bar, a club, the cinema, or a party.
EXAMPLE
Lass uns am Freitagabend zusammen weggehen und tanzen.
Let's go out together on Friday evening and dance.
Sentence structure with stains
When talking about stains or dirt, the stain itself is the subject of the sentence. The verb then describes whether the stain disappears or not.
EXAMPLE
Der Kaffeefleck auf meinem Hemd geht einfach nicht weg.
The coffee stain on my shirt just won't come out.
Fixed expression
In the meaning 'to sell well', the verb is often part of the idiom 'weggehen wie warme Semmeln' (to sell like hotcakes). This means that a product sells extremely quickly and well.
EXAMPLE
Die neuen Smartphones gehen weg wie warme Semmeln.
The new smartphones are selling like hotcakes.
Compare with
weggehen vs gehen
to go
'gehen' and 'weggehen' can both express that someone is leaving a place. 'gehen' is more general: the destination can be important, for example 'nach Hause gehen' (to go home) or 'zum Arzt gehen' (to go to the doctor). 'weggehen' puts more emphasis on going away from a place. In addition, 'weggehen' often means leaving the house in the evening to do something enjoyable, for example going to the cinema or to a party. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with leaving. As a simple guide: if the destination is important, 'gehen' often fits. If the act of leaving or going out is important, 'weggehen' fits better.
weggehen
Am Samstag wollen Lisa und Tom weggehen und einen Film sehen.
On Saturday, Lisa and Tom want to go out and see a movie.
gehen
Nach dem Essen gehe ich direkt nach Hause.
After dinner, I'm going straight home.
In real life
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