Confusing 'ir' and 'venir'

Crazy Past Tense Forms

A very common way to talk about the future is using 'ir' like 'going to'. Just use the right form of 'ir', add 'a', and then the action verb. Example: 'Voy a comer' means 'I am going to eat'.

Talking About the Future: Ir + a + verb

When you say you are going *to* a place, you almost always need the little word 'a' after 'ir'. Example: 'Voy a la playa' (I'm going to the beach).

Always Use 'a' for Destinations

The 'nosotros' (we) form, 'vamos', is often used by itself as a friendly command or suggestion, meaning 'Let's go!'

Let's go!

Extremely common. This is one of the most essential and frequently used verbs in the entire Spanish language.

This meaning of 'ir' is almost always followed by a word that describes *how* things are going, like 'bien' (well), 'mal' (badly), or 'lentamente' (slowly).

Using 'ir' with Adverbs

Asking '¿Cómo te va?' is a great, natural-sounding alternative to '¿Cómo estás?'. It's like asking 'How's life treating you?' or 'How are things going for you?'

A Different 'How are you?'

Very common in everyday conversation to ask about someone's well-being or the status of a project.

Forgetting the 'se'

It's just a verb that needs a little extra word (me, te, se, nos, os, se) to work. For 'ir', adding this word changes the meaning from 'to go' to 'to leave'.

What's a Pronominal Verb?

Notice the command for 'nosotros' (we) is 'vámonos', not 'vayámonos'. This is a special, common form that means 'Let's get out of here!' or 'Let's leave!'

The special 'vámonos'

Extremely common. This is the standard way to say that someone is leaving or departing from a place.

Learn the complete meaning of the Spanish verb 'ir'. Understand the difference between 'ir' (to go) and 'irse' (to leave), see full conjugation charts, usage examples, and common phrases.

ir

Complete Conjugation Tables

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

preterite

imperfect

future

conditional

subjunctive

present

imperfect

imperative

affirmative

negative

Practice Conjugations