去(さ)る

さる
verb (godan)
to leave, to go away, to depart
1. to leave, to go away
To depart from a place.
彼(かれ)は町(まち)を去(さ)った。
He left the town.
去(さ)る者(もの)は追(お)わず。
Don't chase after those who leave.
Proverb
故郷(こきょう)を去(さ)る。
To leave one's hometown.
職場(しょくば)を去(さ)ることにした。
I decided to leave the workplace.
長年(ながねん)働(はたら)いた会社(かいしゃ)を去(さ)るのは寂(さび)しかった。
It was sad to leave the company where I had worked for many years.
彼(かれ)が舞台(ぶたい)を去(さ)ったあとも、拍手(はくしゅ)はしばらく続(つづ)いていた。
Even after he left the stage, the applause continued for a while.
2. to pass, to elapse
For time to go by.
時(とき)が去(さ)る。
Time passes.
嵐(あらし)が去(さ)った。
The storm has passed.
冬(ふゆ)が去(さ)り、春(はる)が来(き)た。
Winter passed and spring came.
痛(いた)みが去(さ)ったあと、ようやく眠(ねむ)ることができた。
After the pain passed, I was finally able to sleep.

去(さ)る is a literary verb meaning to leave or depart, more formal than 離(はな)れる or 出(で)る.

TRANSITIVITY:

  • Type: 自動詞(じどうし) (intransitive)
  • Takes を particle to mark the place being left

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 場所(ばしょ)を去(さ)る: to leave a place
  • 故郷(こきょう)を去(さ)る: to leave one's hometown
  • 時(とき)が去(さ)る: time passes
  • 嵐(あらし)が去(さ)る: the storm passes

PROVERBS:

  • 去(さ)る者(もの)は追(お)わず: Don't chase those who leave
  • 去(さ)る者(もの)日日(ひび)に疎(うと)し: Out of sight, out of mind

IN COMPOUNDS:
去(きょ) reading in compounds: 去年(きょねん) (last year), 過去(かこ) (the past)

DON'T CONFUSE:
猿(さる) (monkey) has the same reading.

core
Added 2026.1.9 21:21 · Revised 2026.2.21 21:54
02000/02115_saru