het gaan/kom + Infinitive

Went and Did: Het Gaan Swem

Level 3

Ons het gister gaan swem. (We went swimming yesterday.) After het, gaan and kom stay plain when another verb follows.

How It Works

1. Present and commands.

  • Ons gaan swem. (We are going swimming.)
  • Kom kuier by ons! (Come and visit us!)
  • Gaan haal die melk, asseblief. (Please go and get the milk.)

2. The past. Het takes second place. Gaan or kom and the infinitive both stay plain at the end: Ons het gister gaan swem. (We went swimming yesterday.) Hy het ons kom help. (He came and helped us.) There is no gegaan or gekom here.

3. Two meanings of gaan. In the present, Ons gaan swem can mean we are going to swim (a plan, see gaan + infinitive) or we are going swimming (moving somewhere to do it). In the past, het gaan swem means that someone went somewhere to do it.

4. Staying together. The infinitive may stay right next to gaan or kom: Kom ons gaan drink 'n koppie koffie. or Kom ons gaan 'n koppie koffie drink. Putting the infinitive at the end is always correct.

Tip: The same plain form after het appears with modals (het nie kon kom nie) and with laat, sien and hoor.

Examples (6)

  1. Ons gaan swem.

    We are going swimming.

    Word by Word: We go swim.

  2. Kom kuier by ons!

    Come and visit us!

    Word by Word: Come visit by us!

  3. Ons het gister gaan swem.

    We went swimming yesterday.

    Word by Word: We have yesterday go swim.

    No ge- on gaan or swem.

  4. Hy het ons kom help.

    He came and helped us.

    Word by Word: He has us come help.

  5. Ek het die naweek by my ouma gaan kuier.

    I went to visit my grandmother at the weekend.

    Word by Word: I have the weekend by my granny go visit.

  6. Gaan haal die melk, asseblief.

    Please go and get the milk.

    Word by Word: Go fetch the milk, please.

Common Mistakes

  • Using gegaan in the past.

    Ons het gister gegaan swem.
    Ons het gister gaan swem.

    When another verb follows, gaan stays plain after het.

  • Adding ge- to the second verb.

    Hy het ons kom gehelp.
    Hy het ons kom help.

    Both verbs stay plain. Only het shows that this is the past.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

het gaan/kom + InfinitiveLevel 3Went and Did: Het Gaan Swem

Learn This First

Het gaan + infinitive tells that someone went to do something.

Words in This Pattern