Inklingo

How to Say "they go" in Spanish

English → Spanish

van

/ban//ban/

VerbA1General
Use 'van' when referring to a group of people or things traveling to a particular destination or participating in a regular activity.
A group of three stylized figures walking together along a winding path toward a bright destination.

Examples

Ellos van al cine todos los viernes.

They go to the movies every Friday.

Mis padres van de vacaciones a la playa.

My parents are going on vacation to the beach.

Ustedes van a la reunión, ¿verdad?

You all are going to the meeting, right?

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.

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'.

andan

AHN-dahn/ˈan.dan/

VerbA1General
Use 'andan' when describing the act of moving around or traveling from place to place without a specific destination, often implying a more general or less directed movement.
Three cartoon people walking forward side-by-side on a sunny park path, illustrating physical movement.

Examples

Los niños andan muy rápido para llegar al parque.

The children walk very fast to get to the park.

Ustedes andan sin paraguas bajo la lluvia.

You all are walking without umbrellas in the rain.

¿Por dónde andan tus amigos? No los veo.

Where are your friends going? I don't see them.

Present Tense Form

This form ('andan') is used when the actors are 'ellos' (they, masculine/mixed), 'ellas' (they, feminine), or 'ustedes' (you all, formal).

Using 'Estar' for Location

Mistake: “Misusing 'andar' to mean 'to be located' permanently. (e.g., *La casa andan allí*)”

Correction: Use 'estar' or 'ser' for location. 'Andar' implies movement or temporary location. (e.g., *¿Dónde andan?* - Where are they roaming/going?)

Destination vs. General Movement

Learners often confuse 'van' and 'andan' by using 'andan' when a specific destination is implied. Remember that 'van' is generally used when there's a clear goal or place they are going to, while 'andan' describes the act of moving more broadly.

Related Translations

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