ir + Infinitive
Going to: Ir + Infinitive
Put the present of ir directly before an infinitive to say what you are going to do: Vou cear, Imos saír, Vai chover. No a goes between the two verbs.
How It Works
Form: present of ir + infinitive, with nothing in between.
- vou, vas, vai, imos, ides, van + cear, saír, chover...
Meanings
- A plan or intention: Vou cear cos meus pais.
- Something about to happen, often based on what you can see: Vai chover.
- Going somewhere to do something: Foi abrir a porta. (He went to open the door.)
No preposition. Spanish says voy a cenar, but Galician puts the infinitive straight after ir: vou cear. Adding a is Spanish interference, and the rule holds even when another word comes in between: Foi onte comer cos seus pais (He went to eat with his parents yesterday).
In the past, the imperfect of ir (ía, ías, ía, iamos, iades, ían) gives "was going to": Ía chamarte, pero quedei sen batería.
Pronouns can attach to either verb: Vou ducharme or Voume duchar. Both are correct, but the sentence never begins with the pronoun.
Examples (6)
- Vou cear cos meus pais.
I'm going to have dinner with my parents.
Word by Word: I-go have-dinner with-the my parents.
- Imos saír esta noite.
We're going to go out tonight.
- Mira o ceo: vai chover.
Look at the sky: it's going to rain.
- Que vas facer mañá?
What are you going to do tomorrow?
- Ía chamarte, pero quedei sen batería.
I was going to call you, but my battery died.
The imperfect ía turns the plan into "was going to".
- Non imos chegar a tempo.
We're not going to arrive on time.
Common Mistakes
Adding the preposition a between ir and the infinitive.
Vou a cear cos meus pais.Vou cear cos meus pais.Galician ir + infinitive has no preposition. Vou a cear copies Spanish voy a cenar.
Putting the pronoun at the start of the sentence.
Me vou duchar.Vou ducharme.An unstressed pronoun cannot begin a Galician sentence. Attach it to the infinitive (Vou ducharme) or to ir (Voume duchar).
How It Connects
Learn This First
Ir plus an infinitive expresses a planned or approaching action.
Related Patterns
- Simple Future
The one-word future, often interchangeable with ir + infinitive.
Level 2 - haber de + Infinitive
Another periphrasis for the future, with a sense of determination.
Level 2 - acabar de + InfinitiveJust Done: Acabar De
The opposite time direction: something that has just happened.
Level 2 - ir + GerundGradual Progress: Ir + Gerund
A different construction with ir that shows gradual progress.
Level 4 - Pronouns in Verb Phrases
Where pronouns go in verb phrases like vou facelo.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice ir + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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