囲碁(いご)

いご
noun
Go (board game)
1. Go; the board game of Go
A strategic board game played with black and white stones on a 19×19 grid, where players compete to control territory. One of the oldest and most respected board games in East Asia.
囲碁(いご)を打(う)つ。
To play Go.
祖父(そふ)は毎週(まいしゅう)囲碁(いご)教室(きょうしつ)に通(かよ)っている。
My grandfather goes to Go classes every week.
囲碁(いご)の世界(せかい)大会(たいかい)で日本(にほん)の棋士(きし)が優勝(ゆうしょう)した。
A Japanese Go player won the world championship.

囲碁(いご) is the Japanese name for the board game Go, one of the oldest strategy games in the world. Often shortened to just 碁(ご) in casual speech.

KEY VOCABULARY:

  • 碁盤(ごばん): Go board
  • 碁石(ごいし): Go stones
  • 対局(たいきょく): match, game
  • 棋士(きし): professional Go player
  • 段(だん): rank (e.g., 初段(しょだん), 九段(くだん))
  • 手(て): a move

USAGE:
The verb for playing Go is 打(う)つ (to play/strike), not する: 碁(ご)を打(う)つ. This is shared with 将棋(しょうぎ).

HOMOPHONE:
Not to be confused with 以後(いご) (from now on, hereafter) — same reading, different kanji and meaning.

CULTURAL NOTE:
Go has a long tradition in Japan. The 日本棋院(にほんきいん) (Nihon Ki-in) is the main professional organization.

Related Words

Related: 将棋(しょうぎ) (shogi (board game))
general
Added 2026.3.19 21:18 · Revised 2026.4.3 9:02
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