vamos
“vamos” means “we go” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
we go
Also: we are going
📝 In Action
Todos los domingos vamos al mercado.
A1Every Sunday we go to the market.
Vamos a la playa mañana si hace buen tiempo.
A1We are going to the beach tomorrow if the weather is nice.
Normalmente vamos en coche, pero hoy vamos a pie.
A2Normally we go by car, but today we are going on foot.
let's go
Also: shall we go
📝 In Action
La película empieza pronto. ¡Vamos!
A1The movie starts soon. Let's go!
¿Vamos al cine esta noche?
A2Shall we go to the movies tonight?
Vamos, que llegamos tarde.
A2Let's go, we're running late.
come on
Also: let's go, hurry up
📝 In Action
¡Vamos, tú puedes hacerlo!
A2Come on, you can do it!
¡Vamos, equipo! ¡A ganar!
B1Let's go, team! Let's win!
¡Pero vamos! ¿Todavía no estás listo?
B1Come on! You're still not ready?
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: vamos
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'vamos' to mean 'Come on!' as encouragement?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'vadimus', which was the 'we' form of the verb 'vadere', meaning 'to go' or 'to walk'. In Spanish, it replaced the original Latin form 'imus' from the verb 'ire'.
First recorded: Around the 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'vamos' and 'vámonos'?
They are very similar! 'Vamos' means 'Let's go'. 'Vámonos' adds a little more urgency, like 'Let's get out of here' or 'Let's leave now'. You use 'vámonos' when the main point is leaving the place you are currently in.
Why do people say 'vamos' for 'let's go' instead of 'vayamos'?
It's a special rule in Spanish. For the verb 'ir' (to go), the 'let's...' command form uses the regular present tense form ('vamos') instead of the special command form ('vayamos'). This makes it one of the easiest commands to learn!