---
title: "Gaan, doen, komen, willen, kunnen, zullen and mogen"
level: A1
chapter: "Verbs now"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/irregular-present
updated: 2026-10-08
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# Gaan, doen, komen, willen, kunnen, zullen and mogen

_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](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/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](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/open-closed-syllables) explains why. _Doen_ keeps _oe_ everywhere: _doe_, _doet_, _doen_.

_Willen_, _kunnen_, _zullen_ and _mogen_ are [modal verbs](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/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

1. Fill in a form of _gaan_: _Emma ... vandaag met de trein naar Utrecht._
2. Fill in a form of _komen_: _Ik ... uit Marokko._
3. Choose _kan_ or _kunt_: _Yara ... morgen niet werken._
4. Fix the form of _zullen_: _Hij zalt je morgen helpen._

## Answers

1. _gaat_ (one person, so _ga_ plus t, written with _aa_)
2. _kom_ (the _ik_ form is the short _kom_)
3. _kan_ (Yara is a _zij_, and _zij_ takes _kan_)
4. _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.

## Questions learners ask

**Is it jij kunt or jij kan in Dutch?**

Both are correct standard Dutch, and you will hear and read both. With hij or zij (she), the only correct form is kan: hij kan, zij kan.

**Is it hij wil or hij wilt?**

The correct form is hij wil, with no t, just like ik wil. With jij, both jij wilt and jij wil are correct.

**How do you conjugate gaan in the present tense?**

Ik ga, jij gaat, hij gaat, wij gaan, jullie gaan, zij gaan. Doen, staan and slaan follow the same pattern: ik doe, jij doet, wij doen.

From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.