Ir (to go or going)
Notes:
The verb “ir” can mean BOTH “go” and “going”
Voy a la tienda = I go to the store AND I’m going to the store.
Tu vas a la tienda = You go to the store AND You’re going to the store.
Great explanation of “ir” meaning, with pronunciation tips, here:https://speakoutinspanish.com/2017/03/31/voy-spanish-for-beginners/
Using the verb ‘Ir’:
Build sentences with ir verb + [infinitive (unconjugated) verb]
We learned that the ir verb can mean “to go” or “to be going,” and we practiced sentences like:
- Yo voy al parque. I’m going to the park.
- El va a la tienda. She goes to the store.
- Ellos van a la biblioteca. They are going to the library.
The ir verb can also be attached to the unconjugated form of any verb to me “to be going to __any verb you want (!)__.”
- Yo voy a comer. I’m going to eat.
- El va a leer un libro. He’s going to read a book.
- Nosotros vamos a caminar. We’re going to walk.
It’s a very handy sentence structure to learn!
Try and make sentences with some of the verbs below. Use the ir table of conjugations at the top to help:
Vocabulary:
Spanish | English |
correr | run |
caminar | walk |
leer | read |
esperar | wait |
comer | eat |
jugar | play |
estudiar | study |
practicar | practice |
Resources to practice:
- Song: Listen to this salsa song. How many “voy a ____” phrases can you hear?
- Marc Anthony Vivir Mi Vida
- Voy a la escuela (for younger kids), by 123 Andres
- Book: Watch this bilingual read-aloud: Cuentacuentos : I’ll Wait Mr. Panda/Yo voy a esperar Sr. Panda / Cuentos en español
- Read more about this verb structure. This page includes an overview, videos, example sentences (with listening practice), and a quiz! https://www.spanishlearninglab.com/ir-a-infinitive-future-spanish/
Quiz yourself – change the present tense sentences to future tense sentences using the “ir + a + infinitive verb” structure: https://studyspanish.com/grammar/test/ira