_Gaan_, _doen_, _komen_, _willen_, _kunnen_, _zullen_ and _mogen_ are irregular in the present tense (the verb form for now and for habits). In other words, they bend the usual pattern a little. _Gaan_ and _doen_ have short forms like _ik ga_ and _ik doe_, _komen_ gives _ik kom_, and _willen_, _kunnen_, _zullen_ and _mogen_ never add a t after _hij_ or _zij_ (she): _hij wil_, _zij kan_, _hij zal_, _zij mag_.
The pattern
Learn the _ik_ form of each verb by heart: _ga_, _doe_, _sta_, _sla_, _kom_, _wil_, _kan_, _zal_, _mag_. With _wij_, _jullie_ and _zij_ (they), every one of these verbs uses the infinitive, the dictionary form.
- _gaan_, _doen_, _staan_, _slaan_: _ik ga_, _jij gaat_, _hij gaat_, _wij gaan_; _ik doe_, _jij doet_, _wij doen_. Add t for _jij_ and _hij_, as in the [usual pattern](#/lesson/present-tense), and write _aa_ in _gaat_, _staat_ and _slaat_.
- _komen_: _ik kom_, _jij komt_, _hij komt_, _wij komen_.
- _willen_: _ik wil_, _jij wilt_ or _jij wil_, _hij wil_, _wij willen_.
- _kunnen_: _ik kan_, _jij kunt_ or _jij kan_, _hij kan_, _wij kunnen_.
- _zullen_: _ik zal_, _jij zult_ or _jij zal_, _hij zal_, _wij zullen_.
- _mogen_: _ik mag_, _jij mag_, _hij mag_, _wij mogen_. No t anywhere.
Both _jij_ forms are correct. When _jij_ comes after the verb, the t drops as usual: _Ga jij ook?_ _Wil jij koffie?_
Examples
| Ik ga vandaag met de fiets naar mijn werk. | I'm cycling to work today. |
|---|---|
| Sanne doet elke zaterdag de boodschappen. | Sanne does the shopping every Saturday. |
| Mei en Bas staan al bij de bushalte. | Mei and Bas are already standing at the bus stop. |
| Ik kom zo! | I'll be right there! |
| Fatima wil een nieuwe fiets. | Fatima wants a new bike. |
| Ahmed kan morgen niet komen. | Ahmed can't come tomorrow. |
| Ik zal je morgen bellen. | I'll call you tomorrow. |
| Ik wil je morgen bellen. | I want to call you tomorrow. |
| Mag ik even je pen lenen? | Can I borrow your pen for a moment? |
Why it works this way
_Gaan_, _doen_, _staan_ and _slaan_ are less odd than they look. Their stems (the basic form of the verb) are short: _ga_, _doe_, _sta_, _sla_. Add the usual t for _jij_ and _hij_. In _gaan_, _staan_ and _slaan_, the vowel is written _a_ at the end of the stem (_ga_, _sta_, _sla_) and _aa_ before a consonant (_gaat_, _staat_, _slaat_); [open and closed syllables](#/lesson/open-closed-syllables) explains why. _Doen_ keeps _oe_ everywhere: _doe_, _doet_, _doen_.
_Willen_, _kunnen_, _zullen_ and _mogen_ are [modal verbs](#/lesson/modal-verbs), helper verbs that often team up with a second verb at the end of the sentence: _Priya kan goed zwemmen._ For English speakers, _ik wil_ is a trap: it means I want, not I will. For a promise, Dutch uses _ik zal_.
Remember: English says he can and he may, never he cans. Dutch is the same here: _hij kan_, _hij mag_, _hij wil_, _hij zal_, with no t.
Watch out
- Not: _Hij wilt koffie._ Say: _Hij wil koffie._ (no t after _hij_ with _willen_)
- Not: _Hij kunt goed koken._ Say: _Hij kan goed koken._ (_kunt_ is a _jij_ form; _hij_ takes _kan_)
- Not: _Je magt hier niet fietsen._ Say: _Je mag hier niet fietsen._ (_mag_ never takes a t)
- Not: _Ik koom morgen._ Say: _Ik kom morgen._ (the _ik_ form has a short o)
- Not: _Ik gaan morgen naar de huisarts._ Say: _Ik ga morgen naar de huisarts._ (_gaan_ is the infinitive; with _ik_ use _ga_)
Quick check
- Fill in a form of _gaan_: _Emma ... vandaag met de trein naar Utrecht._
- Fill in a form of _komen_: _Ik ... uit Marokko._
- Choose _kan_ or _kunt_: _Yara ... morgen niet werken._
- Fix the form of _zullen_: _Hij zalt je morgen helpen._
Answers
- _gaat_ (one person, so _ga_ plus t, written with _aa_)
- _kom_ (the _ik_ form is the short _kom_)
- _kan_ (Yara is a _zij_, and _zij_ takes _kan_)
- _Hij zal je morgen helpen._ (no t after _hij_ with _zullen_)
Use it today
Tonight, say three plans for tomorrow out loud with _ik ga_, _ik wil_ and _ik kan_, for example _Ik ga morgen naar de markt._ Then say them about a friend, starting with _hij_ or _zij_, and check that _wil_ and _kan_ get no t.