Ir and ir a + infinitive (plans)

Ir: to go

Ir (to go) is completely irregular: its forms look nothing like the infinitive. Learn them as a set.

Vais is one syllable, so it has no written accent.

Going somewhere: ir a + place

The destination comes after a (to). Remember that a + el = al (a + el = al, de + el = del). To ask where someone is going, use ¿Adónde? (also written ¿A dónde?).

• Voy al supermercado.I'm going to the supermarket.
• ¿Adónde vas?Where are you going?

For transport, use en: en coche, en tren, en autobús, en metro, en bici. On foot is a pie (or andando in Spain).

• Mis amigos van a la playa en coche.My friends go to the beach by car.
• Vamos a la escuela en autobús.We go to school by bus.
• ¿Vais a Barcelona en tren?Are you going to Barcelona by train?

Plans: ir a + infinitive

Remember the infinitive is the dictionary form of a verb (estudiar, comer). Put it after a conjugated ir + a, and you have the English "going to":

ir (conjugated) + a + infinitive

• Voy a estudiar esta tarde.I'm going to study this afternoon.
• Mañana vamos a comer con mis abuelos.Tomorrow we're going to have lunch with my grandparents.
• ¿Qué vas a hacer el sábado?What are you going to do on Saturday?
• No voy a trabajar el lunes.I'm not going to work on Monday.
• Va a llover.It's going to rain.

Useful time words: hoy (today), mañana (tomorrow), esta tarde (this afternoon), esta noche (tonight), este fin de semana (this weekend), la semana que viene (next week).

Vamos a… = Let's…

Vamos a + infinitive also means "let's", especially with ¡!. ¡Vamos! alone means "Let's go!" or "Come on!"

• ¡Vamos a bailar!Let's dance!

Latin America

Ir a + infinitive is the everyday way to talk about the future across the Spanish-speaking world; in much of Latin America it is used even more than in Spain. Plural "you" is ustedes van.

Common mistakes

• Voy estudiar → Voy a estudiar. The a is always there.
• Voy a el cine → Voy al cine. a + el always contracts.
• Voy en pie → Voy a pie.
• Estoy yendo a cenar con Ana mañana → Voy a cenar con Ana mañana. For plans, use ir a, not the -ing form.
• ¿Dónde vas? is common in casual speech, but in careful Spanish use ¿Adónde vas? for movement and ¿Dónde estás? for location.