ir a + infinitive (going to)
The easiest way to talk about the future: ir (present) + a + infinitive. It works like “going to” for plans and things about to happen.
| ir | + a + infinitive | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | voy | a estudiar |
| tú | vas | a trabajar |
| él / ella / usted | va | a llover |
| nosotros | vamos | a cenar |
| vosotros | vais | a salir |
| ellos / ustedes | van | a venir |
Uses
- Plans: Este verano voy a viajar a México.
- Predictions from what you see: Mira las nubes, va a llover.
- ¡Vamos a + infinitive! = Let’s…: ¡Vamos a comer!
- Pronouns go before ir or attach to the infinitive: Lo voy a comprar = Voy a comprarlo.
Examples
- Mañana voy a llamar a mi madre.Tomorrow I’m going to call my mother.
- ¿Qué vas a hacer esta noche?What are you going to do tonight?
- No vamos a llegar a tiempo.We’re not going to arrive on time.
- Van a abrir un restaurante.They are going to open a restaurant.
- El fin de semana vamos a visitar a mis abuelos.At the weekend we are going to visit my grandparents.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Voy comer.✓ Voy a comer.Ir needs the a before the infinitive. English “going to eat” has no such preposition after “going”.
- ✗ Voy a como.✓ Voy a comer.After a the verb stays in the infinitive. English speakers conjugate it because “to” is not followed by a conjugated verb.
- ✗ Ellos va a salir.✓ Ellos van a salir.Ir is conjugated: ellos van. The infinitive stays unchanged.
- ✗ Voy a no comer.✓ No voy a comer.The negative no goes before ir, not before the infinitive. English “going to not eat” sounds odd, and Spanish rejects it.
- ✗ ¿Vas a comes?✓ ¿Vas a comer?The second verb never takes a personal ending, however the first one is conjugated.