Near future
A1 Ir a + infinitivo 20 / 49
In short
ir a + infinitive is the everyday way to talk about the near future and intentions — Voy a estudiar (I’m going to study). Vamos a + infinitive also means “let’s…”.
The rule
Step 1 — Conjugate ir in the present: voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van.
Step 2 — Add a + the infinitive. The a is obligatory and the second verb always stays in the infinitive: Voy a comer, Van a viajar.
The structure means the near future / a plan / an intention — exactly English “going to”: Voy a llamarte luego (I’m going to call you later).
vamos a + infinitive does double duty: “we are going to…” and “let’s…”: Vamos a empezar = “Let’s begin”.
The near future of hay is va a haber. The infinitive of hay is haber, and va never becomes van, however many things there are: Va a haber ruido, Va a haber obras en la calle.
Time markers make it sound natural: mañana (tomorrow), esta noche (tonight), esta tarde, luego (later), pronto (soon), la próxima semana, el año que viene (next year).
vs the simple future (lesson 34): ir a is the spoken, already-decided, “planned” future and is far more common in conversation; the simple future (comeré) sounds more formal or expresses predictions and promises.
ir is not venir. ir a points away, toward a goal; venir means “to come” toward the speaker. Don’t use venir for the near future.
Forms & patterns
Present of ir:
| Subject | ir |
|---|---|
| yo | voy |
| tú | vas |
| él / ella / usted | va |
| nosotros/-as | vamos |
| vosotros/-as | vais |
| ellos/-as / ustedes | van |
The structure:
| ir (conjugated) | + a | + infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| Voy | a | trabajar |
| Vamos | a | comer |
| Van | a | viajar |
Examples
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| Voy a estudiar esta noche. | I’m going to study tonight. |
| ¿Qué vas a hacer mañana? | What are you going to do tomorrow? |
| Va a llover. | It’s going to rain. |
| Vamos a comer en un restaurante. | We’re going to eat at a restaurant. / Let’s eat… |
| Mis amigos van a viajar a España. | My friends are going to travel to Spain. |
| Voy a llamarte luego. | I’m going to call you later. |
| No vamos a llegar a tiempo. | We’re not going to arrive on time. |
| El año que viene voy a aprender francés. | Next year I’m going to learn French. |
Common mistakes
- Voy estudiar -> Voy a estudiar - the a is obligatory between ir and the infinitive.
- Va a llueve -> Va a llover - after a comes the infinitive, never a conjugated form; weather stays singular (va).
- Van a haber muchas personas -> Va a haber muchas personas - hay has no plural in any tense, so ir stays singular in front of a plural noun.
- Vamos comer -> Vamos a comer - keep the a even in the “let’s” meaning.
- Voy a voy -> Voy a ir - only ir is conjugated; to say “I’m going to go”, the second verb is the infinitive ir.
- Vengo a comer (for “I’m going to eat”) -> Voy a comer - venir is “to come”; the near future uses ir.
Tips
- The formula never changes: ir (conjugated) + a + infinitive. Drop the a and it’s wrong.
- Only the first verb (ir) is conjugated; the action verb always stays in the infinitive.
- vamos a + infinitive is the quickest way to suggest something: Vamos a ver = “Let’s see”.
- In conversation, prefer ir a over the simple future for decided plans; save comeré for predictions, promises, and formal register.
- The pronoun has two homes, both correct: attached to the infinitive (Voy a llamarte, Voy a ducharme) or in front of ir (Te voy a llamar, Me voy a duchar); never between a and the infinitive.
- Anchor it with a time marker to sound natural: mañana, esta tarde, esta noche, la próxima semana, el año que viene.