voy/vas/va/vamos/van
Ir Present Tense
'Ir' means 'to go'. Its forms (voy, vas, va...) are irregular and change depending on the subject. It's used for movement and future plans.
How It Works
The verb ir means 'to go' and is one of the most common and important verbs in Spanish. It is a highly irregular verb, which means its present tense forms do not follow the standard conjugation patterns.
The form of ir changes depending on the subject pronoun performing the action. Here are the basic forms:
- Yo voy - I go
- Tú vas - You (informal) go
- Él/Ella/Usted va - He/She/You (formal) go
- Nosotros/Nosotras vamos - We go
- Vosotros/Vosotras vais - You go (plural informal, Spain)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes van - They/You (plural) go
Main Uses of 'Ir':
1. To express movement to a destination. It is almost always followed by the preposition 'a'.
- Nosotros vamos a la playa. (We go to the beach.)
2. To talk about the near future. This is a very common structure in Spanish, similar to 'going to' in English. The formula is: ir + a + infinitive verb.
- Yo voy a estudiar. (I am going to study.)
- For more details on this, see the near future tense pattern.
Examples (5)
- Yo voy al supermercado.
I go to the supermarket.
Word by Word: I go to-the supermarket.
- ¿Tú vas a la fiesta esta noche?
Are you going to the party tonight?
Word by Word: You go to the party this night?
- Ella va a la escuela en autobús.
She goes to school by bus.
Word by Word: She goes to the school in bus.
- Nosotros vamos a comer pizza.
We are going to eat pizza.
Word by Word: We go to eat pizza.
This example shows the 'ir + a + infinitive' structure to talk about the near future.
- Ellos van de vacaciones a México.
They are going on vacation to Mexico.
Word by Word: They go of vacation to Mexico.
Common Mistakes
Trying to conjugate 'ir' like a regular -ir verb.
Yo iro a la tienda.Yo voy a la tienda.'Ir' is completely irregular. Its 'yo' form is 'voy', not 'iro'. You must memorize its unique forms.
Forgetting the preposition 'a' before a destination.
Él va el parque.Él va al parque.When talking about going to a destination, you must use the preposition 'a' after 'ir'. Remember that 'a + el' contracts to 'al'.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- yo/tú/él/ella/ustedSubject Pronouns (Singular)
Essential for knowing which form of 'ir' to use. 'Yo' pairs with 'voy', 'tú' with 'vas', etc.
Foundations - nosotros/vosotros/ellos/ellas/ustedesSubject Pronouns (Plural)
Also essential for plural forms. 'Nosotros' pairs with 'vamos', 'ellos' with 'van', etc.
Foundations - ir + a + InfinitiveNear Future
This is one of the most important uses of the verb 'ir'. It combines 'ir' with another verb to talk about future plans.
Level 1 - a/de/en/con/sinBasic Prepositions
The preposition 'a' is crucial when using 'ir' to indicate movement towards a destination (e.g., 'voy a la playa').
Foundations - soy/eres/es/somos/sonSer Present Tense
Like 'ir', 'ser' is another fundamental, highly irregular verb. Learning them together helps reinforce the concept of irregular verbs.
Foundations - a + el = alContraction Al
This contraction is very common with 'ir' because you often go 'to the' (a el) masculine place, which becomes 'al'.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice voy/vas/va/vamos/van in Bubblegum
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