uitgegaan

Uitgegaan is the past participle of the Dutch verb uitgaan, meaning to go out. It covers several related senses that share the core idea of moving from indoors to outdoors or of ending a state. The two most common meanings are going out for social reasons and a light or flame going out.

In everyday use, uitgaan most often refers to social activities: leaving home to visit bars, clubs, or events, usually with friends. Examples include “We gaan vanavond uit” or “We zijn vanavond uitgegaan,” both describing a night out. A second, separate sense is when something stops burning or operating, such as a lamp or a fire: “De lamp is uitgegaan” or “De lichten zijn uitgegaan.”

Grammatical note: uitgaan is a separable prefix verb. In the present tense the verb can appear as “we gaan uit” or “we gaan vanavond uit.” For perfect and pluperfect tenses, the auxiliary is usually zijn, and the past participle is uitgegaan: “We zijn uitgegaan,” “De lichten zijn uitgegaan.” In imperfect forms the past tense is formed with ging: “We gingen uit,” “De lamp ging uit.”

The term is widely used in both the Netherlands and Belgium to describe social outings as well as the cessation of light or activity. Its meaning is determined largely by context, with social outings and extinguishment being the primary distinctions.