Signification
Attending educational classes.
Contexte culturel
Cycling to school is a rite of passage. Even in heavy rain ('hondenweer'), students are expected to cycle. This builds 'karakter' (character). In Flanders, the term 'naar 't school gaan' is often heard in informal speech, using the colloquial 't' for 'het'. Children start 'basisschool' at age 4. The phrase 'naar school gaan' starts being used from this very early age. School is the primary social hub. 'Naar school gaan' isn't just about learning; it's about seeing friends and 'afspreken' (making plans) for after school.
The Zero Article Rule
Remember: for activities like school, church, and bed, Dutch drops the 'de'. It's about the purpose, not the place.
Gaan is Irregular
Make sure to learn 'ging' (past) and 'gegaan' (perfect). You will use them constantly!
Signification
Attending educational classes.
The Zero Article Rule
Remember: for activities like school, church, and bed, Dutch drops the 'de'. It's about the purpose, not the place.
Gaan is Irregular
Make sure to learn 'ging' (past) and 'gegaan' (perfect). You will use them constantly!
Use 'Zitten op'
If you want to sound more native when talking about which school you attend, use 'Ik zit op [schoolnaam]' instead of 'Ik ga naar [schoolnaam]'.
Cycling is key
If you talk about going to school, people will assume you cycle. If you don't, specify how you go!
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing word.
Ik ga elke dag ____ school.
The preposition 'naar' is always used with 'gaan' to indicate direction toward a destination.
Which sentence is correct for a student?
Choose the right sentence:
When you are a student attending classes, you do not use the article 'de'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Waar is je broer? B: Hij is niet thuis, hij ____ ____ school.
While 'gaat naar' is grammatically okay, 'is naar' is a common way to say someone has gone to a place and is still there.
Match the sentence to the situation.
Situation: You are talking about your 6-year-old son.
You use 'naar school' to describe his status as a student.
Match the Dutch to the English.
Match the following:
These are the present, past, and perfect tenses of the phrase.
🎉 Score : /5
Aides visuelles
Activity vs. Building
Banque d exercices
5 exercicesIk ga elke dag ____ school.
The preposition 'naar' is always used with 'gaan' to indicate direction toward a destination.
Choose the right sentence:
When you are a student attending classes, you do not use the article 'de'.
A: Waar is je broer? B: Hij is niet thuis, hij ____ ____ school.
While 'gaat naar' is grammatically okay, 'is naar' is a common way to say someone has gone to a place and is still there.
Situation: You are talking about your 6-year-old son.
You use 'naar school' to describe his status as a student.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the present, past, and perfect tenses of the phrase.
🎉 Score : /5
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsOnly if you are visiting the building for a reason other than studying. If you are a student, say 'Ik ga naar school'.
Mostly, yes. For university, people usually say 'studeren' or 'naar de universiteit gaan', but 'naar school gaan' is still understood.
The past tense is 'ging naar school' (singular) or 'gingen naar school' (plural).
Say 'Ik ben op school'. Note the change from 'naar' (direction) to 'op' (location).
Yes, 'naar de universiteit gaan'. Note that for university, you DO use the article 'de'.
It's an adjective meaning 'school-going' or 'of school age'.
Yes, but 'les volgen' (following lessons) is more common if you don't physically leave the house.
In Flanders, 'naar 't school' (to the school) is very common in informal speech, unlike in the Netherlands.
'Naar school gaan' is the act of attending; 'leren' is the act of studying or learning the material.
You can say 'Ik ben klaar met school' or 'Ik ben van school'.
When indicating a destination, yes. 'Ik ga naar [bestemming]'.
No, that is grammatically incorrect. You always need the preposition 'naar'.
Expressions liées
op school zitten
similarto be a student at a school
van school gaan
contrastto leave school/graduate
spijbelen
contrastto skip school
naar de les gaan
specialized formto go to a specific class
studeren
builds onto study (usually at university)
schoolgaande kinderen
specialized formschool-aged children
