verb

gehen

Sich zu Fuß von einem Ort zu einem anderen bewegen.

Definition & meaning

gehen is a highly common German verb with several related meanings:

To go or walk
- It can describe moving from one place to another, either generally or on foot.
- Ich gehe nach Hause. — “I am going home.”
- Wir gehen jeden Morgen im Park spazieren. — “We go for a walk in the park every morning.”
To leave or depart
- Ich muss jetzt gehen. — “I have to leave now.”
- Er ist schon gegangen. — “He has already left.”
To work, function, or operate
- Der Computer geht nicht. — “The computer doesn’t work.”
- Jetzt geht die Heizung wieder. — “The heating is working again now.”
To be possible, acceptable, or manageable
- Das geht nicht. — “That’s not possible” or “That’s not acceptable.”
- Das geht schon. — “That will be all right” or “That is manageable.”
To happen or proceed
- Wie geht es dir? — “How are you?”
- Wie geht die Arbeit voran? — “How is the work progressing?”
To fit or suit, especially regarding clothing
- Das Hemd geht noch. — “The shirt is still acceptable.”
- Die Farbe geht gut zu deiner Hose. — “The color goes well with your trousers.”

Grammar & Word origin

gehen is an irregular or strong verb.

Infinitive: gehen
Present tense, first person singular: ich gehe
Third-person singular present: er/sie/es geht
Simple past: ging
Past participle: gegangen
Perfect auxiliary: sein
Example: Ich bin nach Hause gegangen. — “I went home.”

The verb does not have a productive modern prefix or suffix in its basic form. It comes from an old Germanic root related to movement and walking. Its vowel changes in the past tense: gehen – ging – gegangen.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

laufen — “to walk” or “to run.” It focuses more strongly on movement on foot and can also mean “to run,” whereas gehen is the neutral general term for going.
spazieren gehen — “to go for a walk.” This specifically refers to walking for leisure.
sich begeben — “to proceed” or “to make one’s way.” It is more formal and often sounds literary or official.
fortgehen — “to go away” or “to leave.” It emphasizes movement away from a place.
abreisen — “to depart” or “to leave on a journey.” It is mainly used for travel and departure.

Antonyms and contrasting verbs

bleiben — “to stay” or “remain.” It is the clearest antonym when gehen means leaving or moving away.
kommen — “to come.” It expresses movement toward the speaker or a reference point, contrasting with gehen as movement away from it.
stehen bleiben — “to stop” or “remain standing.” It contrasts with gehen when the focus is on continuing to move.
funktionieren — “to function” or “work.” It is a contrasting term for the technical meaning of gehen, as in Der Drucker geht nicht.

Common phrases & collocations

zu Fuß gehen — to go on foot
nach Hause gehen — to go home
zur Arbeit gehen [zur Arbeit gehen](vocabuo://word zur%20Arbeit%20gehen) — to go to work
spazieren gehen — to go for a walk
ins Bett gehen — to go to bed
weggehen — to go away or leave
ausgehen — to go out; also “to run out” or “to assume”
weitergehen — to continue or go on
Wie geht es dir? — How are you?
Das geht nicht. — That is not possible or acceptable.
Das geht in Ordnung. — That is fine or acceptable.
Es geht um … — It is about … / The matter concerns …
Wie geht es weiter? — What happens next? / How does it continue?