van
/ban/
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Ellos van al cine todos los viernes.
A1They go to the movies every Friday.
Mis padres van de vacaciones a la playa.
A1My parents are going on vacation to the beach.
Ustedes van a la reunión, ¿verdad?
A2You all are going to the meeting, right?
Las cosas no siempre van como uno espera.
B1Things don't always go as one expects.
💡 Grammar Points
Talking About the Near Future
To talk about what's going to happen soon, use 'van a' followed by the basic form of an action word (like 'comer', 'hablar'). For example, 'Ellos van a comer' means 'They are going to eat'.
'Van' for 'They' and 'You All'
In Spanish, 'van' can mean 'they go' (for a group of other people) or 'you all go' (when you're talking directly to a group of people). In Spain, they often use a different word, 'vais', for the second case when talking to friends, but 'van' is understood everywhere.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the 'a'
Mistake: "Ellos van el parque."
Correction: Ellos van al parque. When you talk about going *to* a place, you almost always need to put 'a' after 'van'. And if the place is masculine, like 'el parque', 'a' and 'el' smoosh together to make 'al'.
⭐ Usage Tips
More Than Just Movement
'Van' isn't just for physical travel. You can use it to ask how things are going: '¿Cómo van las cosas?' (How are things going?). It's also used to talk about how clothes look on someone: 'Esos zapatos te van muy bien' (Those shoes look great on you).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: van
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'van' to talk about a future plan?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'van' and 'se van'?
'Van' simply means 'they go' (e.g., 'Van al trabajo' - They go to work). Adding 'se' ('se van') changes the meaning to 'they are leaving' or 'they are going away'. It emphasizes the act of departing from a place (e.g., 'Ya se van de la fiesta' - They're already leaving the party).
Why is 'van' from 'ir'? They look so different!
It's because the Spanish verb 'ir' is a mix of three different Latin verbs. Some forms, like 'ir' itself, come from the Latin 'ire'. Other forms, like 'van', 'vas', 'voy', come from a different Latin verb, 'vadere'. It's a bit strange, but it's one of the unique quirks of Spanish!