Breakdown of We gaan vanavond naar de bioscoop.
naar
to
gaan
to go / to go off (of an alarm)
vanavond
tonight
de bioscoop
the cinema
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
Questions & Answers about We gaan vanavond naar de bioscoop.
Why is there no word for 'are' in this sentence?
Dutch does not use a 'to be + -ing' form like English does. The single verb gaan translates to both 'go' and 'are going' depending on the context.
Is gaan a regular verb?
Gaan (to go) is one of the most important irregular verbs in Dutch. Fortunately, plural pronouns like we always take the full dictionary form of the verb, so you just use gaan here without needing to change it.
Why is the word order vanavond naar de bioscoop (tonight to the cinema) instead of matching the English order?
Dutch sentences prefer a word order rule called Time-Manner-Place. This means that words telling you when something happens (vanavond) usually come before words telling you where you are going (naar de bioscoop).
Why do we use naar to mean 'to'?
When you are talking about physical movement towards a destination, like a building, a city, or an event, you almost always use the preposition naar.
Learn We gaan vanavond naar de bioscoop and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free