# gan

/ˈɡæn/ (US) · /ɡˈæn/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gan
Updated: 2026-06-09

## Definition

(dialect, North-East England / Geordie) to go. For example, 'gan canny' means 'go carefully'.

For teachers: (Northern English / Scots dialect, chiefly Geordie and Northumbrian) to go — a regional variant of 'go', from the same root as 'gang'. Archaically, also the simple past of 'gin', meaning 'began' ('he gan to sing').

## Examples

- I'm tired, so I'll gan home now.
- Are you gannin' to the match on Saturday?
- The old folk song tells of a miner who must gan to the pit every morning, whatever the weather.

## Usage notes

- Chiefly spoken and dialectal — you'll meet it in Geordie/Northumbrian speech, folk songs, and regional writing rather than standard English.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.