Future with Ir a: voy a comer
A2Future and conditional 6 min
The present of ir, then a and an infinitive, names plans and what is about to happen: voy a estudiar. Only ir changes; a and the infinitive stay the same: Voy a cenar con Ana. ¿Vas a venir?
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No information at the current level. This view starts at A2: choose A2 or a higher level.
CheatsheetA2
| Point | Rule | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form | voy / vas / va / vamos / van + a + infinitive | Mañana voy a trabajar. | I'm going to work tomorrow. |
| Form | vosotros: vais + a + infinitive | ¿Qué vais a hacer? | What are you going to do? |
| Use | plans and intentions | Este verano vamos a viajar a Perú. | We're going to travel to Peru this summer. |
| Negative | no goes before ir | No voy a salir esta noche. | I'm not going to go out tonight. |
| Use | a prediction from what you see now | Mira esas nubes: va a llover. | Look at those clouds: it's going to rain. |
| Use | something about to happen | ¡Cuidado, te vas a caer! | Careful, you're going to fall! |
| Invitation | vamos a with an infinitive: let's | ¡Vamos a bailar! | Let's dance! |
| Pronouns | before ir, or joined to the infinitive | Te voy a llamar. / Voy a llamarte. | I'm going to call you. / I'm going to call you. |
| Trap | the a never drops | Voy a comprar pan. | I'm going to buy bread. |
OverviewA2
- ir in the present, then a and an infinitive, names a plan for the future.
- It is the most common way to talk about the future in everyday speech.
- The forms of ir: Present Tense: Irregular Verbs.
- The future in one word, for predictions and promises: Simple Future.
FormA2
| Person | Statement | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| yo | voy a trabajar | no voy a trabajar |
| tú | vas a trabajar | no vas a trabajar |
| él / ella / usted | va a trabajar | no va a trabajar |
| nosotros / nosotras | vamos a trabajar | no vamos a trabajar |
| vosotros / vosotras | vais a trabajar | no vais a trabajar |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | van a trabajar | no van a trabajar |
- A question keeps the same words between ¿ and ?: ¿Vas a venir a la fiesta? — Are you going to come to the party?
- Latin America: ustedes takes van a, in formal and informal address: ¿Ustedes van a cenar en casa? — Are you going to have dinner at home?
UseA2
| Use | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| A plan | Este fin de semana voy a visitar a mis abuelos. | This weekend I'm going to visit my grandparents. |
| An intention | Voy a estudiar medicina. | I'm going to study medicine. |
| A prediction from what you see now | Mira esas nubes: va a llover. | Look at those clouds: it's going to rain. |
| Something about to happen | El tren va a salir. | The train is about to leave. |
| An invitation with vamos a | ¡Vamos a bailar! | Let's dance! |
Signal wordsA2
| Word | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| mañana | Mañana voy a ir al médico. | Tomorrow I'm going to go to the doctor's. |
| esta noche | Esta noche vamos a ver una película. | Tonight we're going to watch a film. |
| el año que viene | El año que viene voy a aprender a nadar. | Next year I'm going to learn to swim. |
| pronto | Pronto van a abrir la tienda. | They're going to open the shop soon. |
PronounsA2
- An object or reflexive pronoun goes before ir, or joins the end of the infinitive: Te voy a llamar. / Voy a llamarte. — I'm going to call you. / I'm going to call you.
- Both orders mean the same: Me voy a duchar. / Voy a ducharme. — I'm going to have a shower. / I'm going to have a shower.
Typical errorsA2
| ✗ | ✓ | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Voy comprar pan. | Voy a comprar pan. | the pattern always keeps a |
| Voy a compro pan. | Voy a comprar pan. | after a, the verb stays in the infinitive |
| Yo va a estudiar. | Yo voy a estudiar. | ir changes with the person |
| Voy a te llamar. | Te voy a llamar. | the pronoun goes before voy or after the infinitive |
| Estoy yendo a estudiar. | Voy a estudiar. | “I'm going to” is voy a, not estoy yendo a |