Ir + a + Infinitive: Spanish A1 Beginner’s Guide
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The ir + a + infinitive structure is the main way Spanish speakers talk about the near future — the equivalent of “going to” in English. Voy a estudiar means “I’m going to study,” vas a venir means “you’re going to come.” Once you can conjugate ir and attach an infinitive, you can talk about plans, intentions, and predictions without learning a new verb tense.
Key Takeaways
- The formula is ir (conjugated) + a + infinitive.
- The verb ir is irregular: voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van.
- Only ir changes with the subject — the second verb stays in the infinitive.
- Used for future plans, intentions, and predictions about the near future.
- Common time markers: mañana, esta tarde, esta noche, este fin de semana, la próxima semana.
- Don’t confuse it with the simple future (estudiaré) — they overlap, but ir + a is more common in speech.
The Verb Ir (to go)
Ir is irregular in the present tense. Learn the forms before you build sentences:
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | voy |
| tú | vas |
| él / ella / usted | va |
| nosotros / nosotras | vamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | vais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | van |
Vosotros (vais) is standard in Spain. In Latin America, ustedes (van) is used for both informal and formal plural address, and vosotros is not used in everyday speech.
The Basic Structure
Formula: ir (conjugated) + a + infinitive
- Voy a estudiar español. (I’m going to study Spanish.)
- Vas a trabajar mañana. (You’re going to work tomorrow.)
- Vamos a comer en un restaurante. (We’re going to eat at a restaurant.)
Only the first verb — ir — changes with the subject. The second verb stays in the infinitive (the *-ar*, *-er*, *-ir* form): estudiar, trabajar, comer. Never conjugate the second verb.
Need help with verb conjugations? Use our Spanish Verb Conjugation Tool to practice any verb in all tenses.
When to Use Ir + a + Infinitive
1. Future plans
- Voy a visitar a mi familia. (I’m going to visit my family.)
- Vamos a viajar a España. (We’re going to travel to Spain.)
2. Intentions
- Va a estudiar medicina. (He’s going to study medicine.)
- Vas a aprender español rápido. (You’re going to learn Spanish quickly.)
3. Predictions about the near future
- Va a llover esta tarde. (It’s going to rain this afternoon.)
- Van a ganar el partido. (They’re going to win the game.)
All three uses are the same structure. The difference is only in meaning.
Common Verb Combinations
Daily activities:
- ir a trabajar (to be going to work)
- ir a estudiar (to be going to study)
- ir a comer (to be going to eat)
- ir a dormir (to be going to sleep)
Leisure:
- ir a ver una película (to be going to see a movie)
- ir a visitar amigos (to be going to visit friends)
- ir a pasear (to be going to walk around)
- ir a comprar (to be going to shop)
Movement and travel:
- ir a viajar (to be going to travel)
- ir a caminar (to be going to walk)
- ir a correr (to be going to run)
- ir a nadar (to be going to swim)
Time Expressions
Common time markers you’ll pair with ir + a:
- mañana (tomorrow)
- esta tarde (this afternoon)
- esta noche (tonight)
- este fin de semana (this weekend)
- la próxima semana (next week)
These can go at the start or the end of the sentence:
- Voy a estudiar esta tarde. / Esta tarde voy a estudiar. (I’m going to study this afternoon.)
- Van a viajar la próxima semana. / La próxima semana van a viajar. (They’re going to travel next week.)
- Vamos a celebrar este fin de semana. (We’re going to celebrate this weekend.)
Questions and Negatives
Questions — just change the intonation or add question marks. Word order stays the same:
- ¿Vas a ir al cine? (Are you going to go to the movies?)
- ¿Van a estudiar español? (Are they going to study Spanish?)
- ¿Qué vas a hacer? (What are you going to do?)
Negatives — place no directly before the conjugated form of ir:
- No voy a trabajar hoy. (I’m not going to work today.)
- No vamos a viajar este año. (We’re not going to travel this year.)
- No va a llover. (It’s not going to rain.)
Ir + a vs. the Simple Future
Spanish has two ways to talk about the future. They overlap, but they’re not identical:
| Structure | Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ir + a + infinitive | voy a estudiar | Near future, plans, spoken Spanish | Voy a estudiar esta tarde. |
| Simple future | estudiaré | More distant future, formal writing, predictions | Estudiaré medicina el año que viene. |
In everyday speech, ir + a + infinitive is the default. The simple future appears more in writing, formal contexts, and in predictions (Lloverá mañana). Both are correct — the choice depends on register and how near the future feels.
Real-Life Usage Examples
Making plans with friends:
- Vamos a ir al cine esta noche. (We’re going to go to the movies tonight.)
- ¿Vas a venir a la fiesta? (Are you going to come to the party?)
- Voy a llamar a María más tarde. (I’m going to call Maria later.)
Daily schedule:
- Voy a trabajar de 9 a 5. (I’m going to work from 9 to 5.)
- Vamos a comer a la 1. (We’re going to eat at 1:00.)
- Va a estudiar después de clase. (He’s going to study after class.)
Weekend plans:
- Voy a descansar el sábado. (I’m going to rest on Saturday.)
- Vamos a visitar a mis abuelos. (We’re going to visit my grandparents.)
- Van a practicar deportes. (They’re going to practice sports.)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to conjugate ir. Say voy a estudiar, not ir a estudiar.
- Using *a* twice. Say voy a estudiar, not voy a a estudiar.
- Conjugating the second verb. Keep it in the infinitive: voy a estudiar, not voy a estudio.
- Dropping the article with próxima. Say la próxima semana, not próxima semana.
- Using ir + a for the distant future. For “I’ll study medicine next year,” Voy a estudiar medicina el año que viene sounds natural in speech but Estudiaré medicina el año que viene is more appropriate in writing.
Quick Reference Chart
| Person | Conjugation | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | voy a | Voy a estudiar | I’m going to study |
| tú | vas a | Vas a trabajar | You’re going to work |
| él / ella / usted | va a | Va a comer | He / She’s going to eat |
| nosotros / nosotras | vamos a | Vamos a viajar | We’re going to travel |
| vosotros / vosotras | vais a | Vais a aprender | You all are going to learn |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | van a | Van a aprender | They’re going to learn |
Ready to Practice?
Now that you understand ir + a + infinitive, test your knowledge:
➡️ Take the Ir + a Quiz — conjugation, structure, questions and negatives, and real-life usage.
Explore more A1 Grammar Guides for complete beginner lessons.
Frequently Asked Questions
It translates as “going to” in English. Voy a estudiar = “I’m going to study”; vas a venir = “you’re going to come.” The structure expresses the near future — plans, intentions, and predictions about what’s coming next.
Ir is irregular: yo voy, tú vas, él/ella/usted va, nosotros vamos, vosotros vais, ellos/ellas/ustedes van. These forms must be memorized — they don’t follow the regular -ir pattern. In Latin America, ustedes van is used for both informal and formal plural address.
No. Only ir is conjugated. The second verb stays in the infinitive — the -ar, -er, or -ir form. So it’s voy a estudiar, not voy a estudio. The infinitive is the same regardless of who the subject is: voy a estudiar, vas a estudiar, vamos a estudiar.
Both refer to the future, but they’re used differently. Ir + a + infinitive (voy a estudiar) is for the near future and is the default in everyday speech. The simple future (estudiaré) is for a more distant future and appears more in formal writing and predictions. Voy a llamar a María sounds natural; Llamaré a María sounds more formal or more distant.
The preposition a appears once, between the conjugated form of ir and the infinitive: voy + a + estudiar. It never doubles. Voy a a estudiar is a common error, but it’s incorrect — the structure is fixed as ir + a + infinitive, one a only.
Just add question marks and rising intonation — the word order stays the same: ¿Vas a ir al cine? (Are you going to go to the movies?), ¿Van a estudiar español? (Are they going to study Spanish?), ¿Qué vas a hacer? (What are you going to do?). No auxiliary verb is needed, unlike English “do you…”.
Place no directly before the conjugated form of ir: No voy a trabajar hoy (I’m not going to work today), No vamos a viajar este año (We’re not going to travel this year). The no goes before ir, never before the infinitive.
Either at the start or the end of the sentence — both are natural: Voy a estudiar esta tarde or Esta tarde voy a estudiar. What you can’t do is put the time marker between ir and the infinitive. The structure ir + a + infinitive stays intact as one unit.
Mostly, yes. It expresses plans, intentions, and near-future predictions. Occasionally, the same structure means literal movement: Voy a comprar pan can mean “I’m going to buy bread” (future plan) or, in context, “I’m going to buy bread” (physically going). But in everyday use, the future meaning dominates.
Yes — any verb can follow ir a in the infinitive: Voy a comer, Vas a escribir, Vamos a salir, Van a venir. The structure doesn’t restrict which verb you use. The only rule is that the second verb stays in its infinitive form, never conjugated.
