Ir Conjugation: Master “To Go” in Spanish – Complete Guide + Quiz
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What is Ir? The Essential Verb of Movement
Mastering the Spanish verb ir is absolutely fundamental for any Spanish learner. This highly irregular verb means “to go” and is used not just for physical movement, but also for expressing future plans and intentions. It’s one of the most frequently used verbs in the Spanish language.
Key Takeaways:
- Primary Meaning: To go.
- Key Use: Expressing movement, future plans (
ir a + inf.), and ongoing actions. - Must-Know Conjugation:
Voy a...(I’m going to…). - Grammar Tip: It’s completely irregular in many tenses – must be memorized.
- Common Structure:
Ir a + lugar(to go to a place),Ir a + infinitivo(to be going to do something).
Complete Ir Conjugation: The Essential Tenses
Present Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | voy | Voy al mercado los sábados. (I go to the market on Saturdays.) |
| Tú | vas | ¿Vas a la fiesta esta noche? (Are you going to the party tonight?) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | va | Ella va a la universidad. (She goes to the university.) |
| Nosotros | vamos | Vamos al cine frecuentemente. (We go to the movies frequently.) |
| Vosotros | vais | Vais muy rápido. (You all go very fast.) |
| Ellos/Ustedes | van | Ellos van de vacaciones en julio. (They go on vacation in July.) |
Past Tenses: Preterite vs. Imperfect
Preterite Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | fui | Fui al médico ayer. (I went to the doctor yesterday.) |
| Tú | fuiste | ¿Fuiste a la reunión? (Did you go to the meeting?) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | fue | Él fue a España el año pasado. (He went to Spain last year.) |
| Nosotros | fuimos | Fuimos al concierto anoche. (We went to the concert last night.) |
| Vosotros | fuisteis | Fuisteis a la playa el fin de semana. (You all went to the beach on the weekend.) |
| Ellos/Ustedes | fueron | Fueron al supermercado esta mañana. (They went to the supermarket this morning.) |
Imperfect Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | iba | Cuando era niño, iba al parque todos los días. (When I was a child, I used to go to the park every day.) |
| Tú | ibas | Ibas a esa escuela, ¿verdad? (You used to go to that school, right?) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | iba | Ella iba a la iglesia los domingos. (She used to go to church on Sundays.) |
| Nosotros | íbamos | Íbamos a la piscina en verano. (We used to go to the pool in summer.) |
| Vosotros | ibais | Ibais juntos al colegio. (You all used to go to school together.) |
| Ellos/Ustedes | iban | Iban a ese restaurante frecuentemente. (They used to go to that restaurant frequently.) |
Future Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | iré | Iré a tu casa mañana. (I will go to your house tomorrow.) |
| Tú | irás | ¿Irás a la graduación? (Will you go to the graduation?) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | irá | Ella irá a la conferencia. (She will go to the conference.) |
| Nosotros | iremos | Iremos de viaje el próximo mes. (We will go on a trip next month.) |
| Vosotros | iréis | Iréis a la universidad el año que viene. (You will go to university next year.) |
| Ellos/Ustedes | irán | Irán a visitar a sus abuelos. (They will go visit their grandparents.) |
Present Subjunctive Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | vaya | Es importante que yo vaya al banco. (It’s important that I go to the bank.) |
| Tú | vayas | Quiero que vayas conmigo. (I want you to go with me.) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | vaya | Espero que ella vaya a la fiesta. (I hope she goes to the party.) |
| Nosotros | vayamos | Es necesario que vayamos temprano. (It’s necessary that we go early.) |
| Vosotros | vayáis | Prefiero que vayáis primero. (I prefer that you go first.) |
| Ellos/Ustedes | vayan | Dudo que vayan al partido. (I doubt they will go to the game.) |
Imperative (Command) Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation (Affirmative) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tú | ve | ¡Ve a tu habitación! (Go to your room!) |
| Usted | vaya | ¡Vaya a la oficina, por favor! (Go to the office, please!) |
| Nosotros | vayamos | ¡Vayamos al parque! (Let’s go to the park!) |
| Vosotros | id | ¡Id a casa ahora mismo! (Go home right now!) |
| Ustedes | vayan | ¡Vayan a la recepción! (Go to the reception!) |
Verbals: Gerund & Infinitive
| Form | Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | yendo | Estoy yendo al trabajo. (I am going to work.) |
| Infinitive | ir | Quiero ir de compras. (I want to go shopping.) |
SEE THE FULL IR CONJUGATION IN ALL TENSES WITH OUR INTERACTIVE TOOL
How to Use Ir in Context
Expressing Movement and Destination
- Voy a la oficina cada día. (I go to the office every day.)
- ¿Vas al supermercado? (Are you going to the supermarket?)
- Vamos a México en diciembre. (We’re going to Mexico in December.)
Expressing Future Plans (Ir a + infinitive)
- Voy a estudiar español. (I’m going to study Spanish.)
- ¿Vas a llamar a tu madre? (Are you going to call your mother?)
- Va a llover esta tarde. (It’s going to rain this afternoon.)
Expressing Ongoing Action
- Voy caminando al trabajo. (I go walking to work.)
- Va mejorando su español. (His Spanish is getting better.)
Common Phrases and Idioms with Ir
- Ir a + lugar (to go to a place)
- Ir a + infinitivo (to be going to do something)
- Ir bien/mal (to go well/badly)
- Ir de compras (to go shopping)
- Irse (to leave, to go away)
- ¡Vamos! (Let’s go! Come on!)
A Note on Culture & Common Mistakes
Cultural Insight: In Spanish-speaking cultures, the future tense with ir a + infinitivo is used much more frequently than the simple future tense in everyday conversation. Saying “voy a comer” (I’m going to eat) is more natural than “comeré” in most situations.
Watch Out! The most common mistakes are confusing ir (to go) with irse (to leave) and forgetting that ir is highly irregular.
- ✅ Correct:
**Voy** al cine.(I go to the movies.) - ✅ Correct:
**Me voy** de la fiesta.(I’m leaving the party.) - ❌ Incorrect:
*Yo ir al cine.*(Missing conjugation)
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