A2 · Updated
Ir a + infinitive: the near future
The easiest way to talk about the future in Spanish needs no new tense at all. Take the present of ir, add a and an infinitive: voy a comer. It is what most Spaniards actually say for plans, and it works from day one.
The short answer
Present of ir + a + infinitive: voy a estudiar, vas a llegar tarde, van a cerrar. It is used for plans and for things you can see coming. The a is compulsory. Vamos a also means let us: vamos a ver, let us see.
How to remember it
Ir in the present, a, and the verb untouched
| Form | voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van + a + infinitive | Voy a llamar |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | something already decided | Este verano voy a viajar |
| Evidence | something you can see coming | Va a llover |
| Let us | vamos a + infinitive | Vamos a empezar |
| Pronouns | before ir or stuck to the infinitive | Lo voy a hacer, voy a hacerlo |
The forms
Ir a with comer
| person | form | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | voy a comer | I am going to eat |
| tú | vas a comer | you are going to eat |
| él, ella, usted | va a comer | he, she is going to eat |
| nosotros | vamos a comer | we are going to eat |
| vosotros | vais a comer | you are going to eat |
| ellos, ustedes | van a comer | they are going to eat |
16 sentences that show the difference
Everyday Spanish, the kind you would actually say. The label under each one says which part of the rule it shows.
Voy a estudiar esta tarde.
I am going to study this afternoon.
A plan
¿Qué vas a hacer el sábado?
What are you going to do on Saturday?
Asking about plans
Va a llover.
It is going to rain.
Evidence
Cuidado, te vas a caer.
Careful, you are going to fall.
A warning
Vamos a comer a las dos.
We are going to eat at two.
Nosotros
Vamos a ver.
Let us see.
Let us
¡Vamos a bailar!
Let us dance!
An invitation
No voy a decir nada.
I am not going to say anything.
Negative
Lo voy a pensar.
I will think about it.
Pronoun before ir
Voy a pensarlo.
I will think about it.
Pronoun on the infinitive
Van a cerrar la tienda.
They are going to close the shop.
Ellos
Ahora mismo voy.
I am coming right now.
Ir alone
Voy a ir a Sevilla.
I am going to go to Seville.
Ir a ir is fine
Iba a llamarte.
I was going to call you.
In the past
Este año voy a aprender español.
This year I am going to learn Spanish.
An intention
¿Vas a venir o no?
Are you coming or not?
Yes or no
Where English gets in the way
English going to works almost exactly the same way, which makes this the friendliest structure in Spanish. The differences: Spanish needs the a, and the verb ir does not need a separate am or are. Voy a comer is one verb where English has three words: I am going to.
The mistake to avoid
Voy comer, without the a, and estoy yendo a comer, copying I am going. The structure is simply the present of ir: voy a comer.
The cases that break the rule
Voy a comer
The a can never be dropped: voy comer is not Spanish. In fast speech it may blend into the vowel before, voy a ir sounds like voy ir, but it is there.
Voy a ir
Ir a ir is perfectly natural, unlike in some languages: vamos a ir al cine. Many speakers shorten it to vamos al cine.
Vamos a ver
Vamos a plus infinitive doubles as let us. Context decides: vamos a cenar can be we are going to have dinner or let us have dinner.
Iba a
In the past it takes the imperfect, iba a, and often means the plan did not happen: iba a llamarte, pero...
Mañana voy
For a fixed arrangement Spanish also uses the plain present: mañana voy al médico. It is as normal as ir a, and simpler.
Iré
The future tense, iré, comeré, exists but in speech it sounds more distant, more like a promise or a guess. For everyday plans ir a is what you hear.
Ir a + infinitive exercises
8 sentences to fill in. Type your answer and check it, or read them straight through with the answers showing. Accents count here, the way they count in the language.
-
Mañana ___ a visitar a mi abuela. (yo)
Tomorrow I am going to visit my grandmother.
voy · Yo form of ir: voy.
-
¿Qué ___ a hacer este verano? (tú)
What are you going to do this summer?
vas · Tú form: vas.
-
Mira las nubes. Va ___ llover.
Look at the clouds. It is going to rain.
a · The a is compulsory between ir and the infinitive.
-
Mis padres ___ a comprar una casa.
My parents are going to buy a house.
van · Ellos form: van.
-
Nosotros ___ a cenar fuera.
We are going to eat out.
vamos · Nosotros form: vamos.
-
No te preocupes, ___ voy a hacer.
Do not worry, I am going to do it.
lo · The pronoun can go before the conjugated ir.
-
¿Vosotros ___ a venir a la fiesta?
Are you coming to the party?
vais · Vosotros form: vais.
-
___ a llamarte, pero no tenía batería. (yo, pasado)
I was going to call you, but I had no battery.
Iba · In the past, the imperfect of ir: iba a.
More exercises, from Don Quixote
8 more, these ones straight out of the course: the inn, the windmills, Rocinante and the road. Same rule, older Spanish.
-
Don Quijote ___ a ser caballero.
Don Quixote is going to be a knight.
va · Third person: va a.
-
Sancho, ___ a buscar aventuras. (nosotros)
Sancho, we are going to look for adventures.
vamos · Nosotros: vamos a, which can also mean let us.
-
Señor, ¿qué ___ a hacer con los molinos? (usted)
Sir, what are you going to do with the windmills?
va · Usted takes the third person.
-
Yo ___ a ser gobernador de una ínsula.
I am going to be governor of an island.
voy · Yo form: voy.
-
Los mercaderes van ___ ver a Dulcinea.
The merchants are going to see Dulcinea.
a · The a between ir and the infinitive.
-
Rocinante ___ a caerse. ¡Cuidado!
Rocinante is going to fall. Careful!
va · Something you can see coming.
-
Mañana ___ a salir otra vez. (ellos)
Tomorrow they are going to set out again.
van · Ellos: van.
-
Don Quijote no lo ___ a olvidar nunca.
Don Quixote is never going to forget it.
va · The pronoun lo sits before ir.
Common questions
How do you form the near future in Spanish?
Present of ir, then a, then the infinitive: voy a salir, vamos a ver. Only ir changes. The second verb stays as it is.
What is the difference between voy a comer and comeré?
Voy a comer is a plan or something about to happen, and it is what people say most. Comeré sounds more distant or more formal, and is common for promises and predictions.
Can I say voy a ir?
Yes, it is completely normal: voy a ir al banco. Many people simply say voy al banco, which also works for the near future.
Where do pronouns go with ir a?
Either before ir or joined to the end of the infinitive: te voy a llamar or voy a llamarte. Both are equally correct.
Does vamos a mean let us?
It can. ¡Vamos a comer! is let us eat. With the verb ir itself, let us go is just ¡vamos! or vámonos.
How do I say I was going to?
Use the imperfect of ir: iba a llamarte, I was going to call you. It often hints that the plan did not happen.
Is ir a used in Latin America too?
Yes, and even more than in Spain. In many countries it has almost replaced the future tense in conversation.
Can I use the present for the future?
Yes, for arrangements: el sábado juego al tenis, mañana trabajo. A time word makes it clear you mean the future.
The things to remember
- Ir in the present, then a, then the infinitive.
- The a is compulsory.
- Use it for plans and for things you can see coming.
- Vamos a plus infinitive also means let us.
- Object pronouns go before ir or on the end of the infinitive.
The book this comes from
Don Quixote in Easy Spanish: the whole novel retold in Spanish you can actually read, in 58 short episodes, with the hard words glossed in the margin. It is where every Don Quixote sentence on this page comes from.
In EPUB and PDF with its audiobook, and a second novel in the same Spanish. See the books.
Where the course teaches this
One lesson covers it, each one inside a chapter of the story rather than in the abstract. Free to read, with the vocabulary, the audio and the exercises.
- The simple futureLesson 32The two armies of sheep
Next to this one
The points that sit closest to this one, and that a student usually meets around the same time.