Samengaan

Samengaan is a Dutch verb meaning to go together, to come together, or to merge. The core sense is that two or more entities join into a single unit or partnership. In business or organizational contexts, it is used when two companies, organizations, or groups form a joint venture or merger, often expressed with gaan samen or zijn samengegaan (past participle: samengegaan). Example: “Twee bedrijven gaan samen” or “De twee partijen zijn samengegaan.” The noun het samengaan refers to the act or process of coming together, such as “het samengaan van de twee partijen.”

In everyday language the term can also describe two people living or acting together, although more common words are samenwonen (to live together) or samen optrekken (to team up). The expression samengaan is used to describe joint action, such as “zij gaan samen naar de markt” (they go to the market together).

Etymology: samengaan is samengesteld uit samen (together) en gaan (to go). The term appears in formal and informal registers; in business contexts fusie (fusion/merger) of ten minste samenwerkingsverbanden (collaboration) may be used as synonyms.

In summary, samengaan denotes the act of coming together, whether as a merger of organizations or a cooperative, and it also appears in less formal uses to describe people or groups acting in concert. See also fusie, samenwerking, samenvoeging, en samenwonen as related concepts.