ir
/eer/
to go
Just like this person is moving towards a destination, 'ir' is used to talk about going from one place to another.
ir(Verb)
to go
?movement to a destination
to travel
?going on a journey
,to move
?changing location
📝 In Action
Voy a la tienda.
A1I'm going to the store.
¿Ustedes van al cine esta noche?
A1Are you all going to the movies tonight?
Mis padres fueron a España el año pasado.
A2My parents went to Spain last year.
Si tuviera dinero, iría a Japón.
B2If I had money, I would go to Japan.
💡 Grammar Points
Talking About the Future: Ir + a + verb
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'.
Always Use 'a' for Destinations
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).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'ir' and 'venir'
Mistake: "'Vengo a la tienda ahora.' (When you are currently at home, not at the store)."
Correction: 'Voy a la tienda ahora.' Use 'ir' for movement away from you (going), and 'venir' for movement towards you (coming).
Crazy Past Tense Forms
Mistake: "Thinking the past tense is 'yo í' or 'yo fuió'."
Correction: The past tense of 'ir' is totally different: 'fui, fuiste, fue...'. It's weird, but you just have to memorize it. The good news? It's the exact same as the past tense for 'ser' (to be)!
⭐ Usage Tips
Let's go!
The 'nosotros' (we) form, 'vamos', is often used by itself as a friendly command or suggestion, meaning 'Let's go!'
'Ir' can also describe how something is progressing or working out, like in the question '¿Cómo te va?' (How's it going?).
ir(Verb)
to be going
?how things are progressing
to work out
?how a situation unfolds
,to fare
?how someone is doing
📝 In Action
¿Cómo te va en el nuevo trabajo?
A2How is it going for you at the new job?
Todo va bien, gracias por preguntar.
A2Everything is going well, thanks for asking.
La reunión fue muy mal.
B1The meeting went very badly.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'ir' with Adverbs
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).
⭐ Usage Tips
A Different 'How are you?'
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?'
When you add a little word like 'me', 'te', or 'se' to 'ir', it becomes 'irse' and its meaning changes from 'to go' to 'to leave'.
ir(Pronominal Verb)
to leave
?departing from a place
to go away
?general departure
,to take off
?informal, leaving
📝 In Action
Ya es tarde, me voy.
A2It's late, I'm leaving.
¿A qué hora te fuiste de la fiesta?
A2What time did you leave the party?
¡Vámonos! El tren está a punto de salir.
A2Let's go! The train is about to leave.
💡 Grammar Points
What's a Pronominal Verb?
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'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the 'se'
Mistake: "'Él va de la fiesta.' (This sounds like he is going *from* the party to somewhere else)."
Correction: 'Él se va de la fiesta.' (He is leaving the party). To say someone is leaving, you need that little 'se' word.
⭐ Usage Tips
The special 'vámonos'
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!'
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: ir
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence means 'I am leaving now'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the past tenses of 'ir' (to go) and 'ser' (to be) the same?
It's a strange historical accident! In Latin, the past tense of 'ser' (to be) fell out of use, so Spanish borrowed the past tense forms from 'ir' (to go). Over time, people started using 'fui, fuiste, fue...' for both verbs. You have to use the context of the sentence to know which one is meant.
What's the difference between 'ir' and 'irse'?
Think of it this way: 'ir' focuses on the destination ('Voy a la playa' - I'm going to the beach). 'Irse' focuses on the departure ('Me voy de la oficina' - I'm leaving the office). 'Ir' needs a destination, while 'irse' just means you're leaving.
Is 'vamos' or 'vayamos' correct for 'let's go'?
For a command or suggestion like 'Let's go!', you should use 'vamos' or 'vámonos' (if you mean 'Let's leave!'). 'Vayamos' is a different form (the subjunctive) used in other situations, like 'Espero que vayamos a la playa' (I hope that we go to the beach).