The Ultimate Guide to the Spanish Verb 'Ir' (To Go)

Table of Contents

• Present Tense Conjugation of 'Ir'
  • Examples in Action
• The Magic Formula: `Ir + a + Infinitive`
• Let's Go Places! Using 'Ir' for Destinations
• A Quick Look at Other Tenses
  • Preterite (Simple Past)
  • Imperfect (Continuous Past)
• The Big Question: `Ir` vs. `Irse`
• Common Expressions with 'Ir'

Ready to get moving with your Spanish? ¡Vamos! One of the first verbs you'll encounter, and one you'll use every single day, is ir (to go). It's your ticket to talking about plans, destinations, and the future.

But hold on! This little verb is a bit of a shapeshifter. It's highly irregular, which means it doesn't play by the normal conjugation rules for regular -ar verbs. Don't worry, though. This guide will make mastering ir a walk in the park.

We'll cover:

• How to conjugate ir in the present tense.
• The magical formula for talking about the future.
• How to use ir to talk about destinations (and the crucial al vs. a la).
• The difference between ir (to go) and irse (to leave).

Let's go!

Present Tense Conjugation of 'Ir'

First things first, let's see what ir looks like in the present tense. As you'll see, the forms look nothing like the infinitive ir.

Here's the breakdown:

Pronoun	Spanish	English
Yo	voy	I go / I am going
Tú	vas	You go / You are going (informal)
Él/Ella/Ud.	va	He/She/You go (formal)
Nosotros/as	vamos	We go / We are going
Vosotros/as	vais	You all go (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	van	They/You all go

Examples in Action

• Yo voy a la playabeach los domingos. (I go to the beach on Sundays.)
• ¿Vas al supermercadosupermarket más tarde? (Are you going to the supermarket later?)
• Mi hermana va a la universidad en Madrid. (My sister goes to university in Madrid.)
• Nosotros vamos al cine esta noche. (We are going to the movies tonight.)
• Ellos van a la fiesta de cumpleaños. (They are going to the birthday party.)

The Magic Formula: Ir + a + Infinitive

This is the most powerful and common use of the verb ir. It's how you talk about the near future in Spanish, and it's incredibly simple.

The Formula: Conjugated ir + a + Infinitive Verb

Think of it as the direct equivalent of "going to do something" in English.

• Voy a comer. (I am going to eat.)
• Vas a estudiar. (You are going to study.)
• Ella va a llamar. (She is going to call.)
• Vamos a viajar. (We are going to travel.)
• Van a aprender. (They are going to learn.)

See how easy that is? You only have to conjugate ir! The second verb always stays in its original "-ar," "-er," or "-ir" form.

Let's Go Places! Using 'Ir' for Destinations

Naturally, ir is used to say you're going to different places in the city. The key word here is a, which means "to."

• Voy **a** la oficina. (I'm going to the office.)
• Van **a** la biblioteca. (They're going to the library.)

Time to put your skills to the test. Can you unscramble this sentence?

A Quick Look at Other Tenses

While the present tense is your priority, it's helpful to see what ir looks like in the past.

Preterite (Simple Past)

The preterite is for completed actions in the past. Here, ir has a surprise twin...

Pronoun	Preterite of Ir/Ser
Yo	fui
Tú	fuiste
Él/Ella/Ud.	fue
Nosotros/as	fuimos
Vosotros/as	fuisteis
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	fueron

Imperfect (Continuous Past)

The imperfect tense describes ongoing, habitual, or repeated actions in the past. Think "used to go" or "was/were going." Knowing when to use the preterite vs. imperfect is a key skill as you advance.

Pronoun	Imperfect of Ir
Yo	iba
Tú	ibas
Él/Ella/Ud.	iba
Nosotros/as	íbamos
Vosotros/as	ibais
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	iban

• Cuando era niño, iba a la casa de mis abuelos todos los veranos. (When I was a child, I used to go to my grandparents' house every summer.)

The Big Question: Ir vs. Irse

This is a common point of confusion. What's the deal with adding "se" to the end?

Irse is the pronominal form of ir. It's part of a larger family of reflexive verbs in Spanish. While they both relate to movement, they have a key difference in focus:

• Ir: Focuses on the destination. You are going to somewhere.
• Irse: Focuses on the departure. You are leaving from somewhere.

Let the ComparisonSlider show you the difference:

When you use irse, you need to remember to include the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) before the conjugated verb.

• Te vas - You are leaving
• Se va - He/She is leaving
• Nos vamos - We are leaving

Irse often carries a sense of finality or leaving for good, while ir is simply about movement.

Common Expressions with 'Ir'

Ir is a team player and shows up in tons of common Spanish expressions. Here are a few to get you started:

• ¡Vamos! - Let's go! / Come on! (A useful phrase from our list of basic greetings and phrases.)
• Ir de compras - To go shopping
• Ir de vacaciones - To go on vacation
• ¿Cómo te va? - How's it going? (Literally: How does it go for you?)
• Ir al grano - To get to the point
• Todo va sobre ruedas - Everything is going smoothly (Literally: Everything is going on wheels) - one of many fun idiomatic expressions in Spanish.

You're all set! The verb ir might be irregular, but its importance and versatility make it a true friend in your Spanish journey. From making future plans with ir + a + infinitive to telling someone you're leaving with irse, you now have the tools to get your Spanish moving. ¡Buen viaje!