goen
To Go: Goen
Goen means to go. The present forms do not look like the infinitive: ech ginn heem means I am going home.
How It Works
The present forms of goen
- ech ginn – I go
- du gees – you go
- hien / si / et geet – he / she / it goes
- mir ginn – we go
- dir gitt – you (plural or polite) go
- si ginn – they go
Same forms as ginn. Ech ginn can mean I go or I give. Usually the rest of the sentence makes it clear: Ech ginn heem (I am going home) versus Ech ginn him e Buch (I give him a book). See ginn.
The n-rule. Ginn loses its n before most consonants (n-rule): Mir ginn an d'Stad, but Mir gi muer an de Kino.
Commands. Tell one friend Géi! (Go!) and several people Gitt!
Useful patterns
- Where to: Wuer gees du? (wou and wuer)
- Going home: Ech ginn heem (heem and doheem)
- Going to do something: Mir ginn iessen (We are going out to eat), see goen + infinitive.
- How things are going: Wéi geet et? (wéi geet et)
In the past, goen uses sinn: Ech si gaangen (I went). See the perfect with sinn.
Examples (5)
- Ech ginn heem.
I am going home.
Word by Word: I go home.
Ginn is the ech form of goen.
- Wuer gees du?
Where are you going?
Word by Word: Where-to go you?
Gees is the du form.
- Mäi Brudder geet schonn an d'Schoul.
My brother already goes to school.
Word by Word: my brother goes already to the school.
Geet is the form for hien, si and et.
- Mir gi muer an de Kino.
We are going to the cinema tomorrow.
Word by Word: We go tomorrow to the cinema.
Ginn becomes gi before the consonant m, by the n-rule.
- Gitt Dir och op de Maart?
Are you going to the market too?
Word by Word: Go you also to the market?
Polite Dir takes gitt.
Common Mistakes
Using the infinitive as the ech form, as with regular verbs.
Ech goen heem.Ech ginn heem.Goen is irregular. Its ech form is ginn, not goen.
Mixing up geet and gëtt.
Hie gëtt heem.Hie geet heem.Hie gëtt belongs to ginn (to give, to become). For going, use hie geet.
Keeping the n of ginn before a consonant that drops it.
Mir ginn muer an de Kino.Mir gi muer an de Kino.M is not one of the letters d, h, n, t or z, so ginn is written gi here.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before To Go: Goen, learn Present Tense Endings.
Related Patterns
- ginnTo Give and to Become: Ginn
Shares the forms ech ginn, mir ginn, dir gitt and si ginn with goen.
Level 1 - goen + InfinitiveGoing to Do Something: Goen + Infinitive
Goen with an infinitive means to go and do something.
Level 2 - heem / doheemHome: Heem and Doheem
Heem is the word for going home.
Level 1 - wou / wuerWhere and Where to: Wou and Wuer
Wuer asks where someone is going.
Level 1 - Wéi geet et?How Are You? Wéi Geet Et?
The everyday question How are you? uses geet.
Level 1 - Perfect-Tense Auxiliary: sinnPerfect Tense with Sinn
Goen forms its past with sinn: ech si gaangen.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice goen in Bubblegum
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