Ir a + infinitive: what I am going to do
This lesson teaches the everyday spoken future in Spanish with the structure “ir a + infinitivo”. You will use it for something immediate, for a plan, and for a prediction based on what you can see. You will also learn “iba a + infinitivo” to say you had a plan that did not happen.
The rule
In everyday conversation, Spanish very often uses “ir” in the present + “a” + an infinitive to talk about the future. This is not a shortcut for beginners. It is one of the most common real spoken ways to express what will happen. The simple future exists and you will learn it later at B1, but this lesson gives you a structure people actually use constantly.
The form is rigid. You conjugate “ir” for the subject, then you always add “a”, then you add the infinitive of the main verb. The “a” is never dropped. You do not place the infinitive directly after “ir”. There is also no contraction with the infinitive, the structure stays as “ir a + infinitivo”. Think in ready to use chunks like “voy a + infinitivo”, “vas a + infinitivo”, “vamos a + infinitivo”.
At a glance
Present tense of “ir”, used to build “ir a + infinitivo”
| Persona | Ir (presente) | Modelo con infinitivo |
|---|---|---|
| yo | voy | voy a estudiar |
| tú | vas | vas a trabajar |
| él / ella / usted | va | va a venir |
| nosotros / nosotras | vamos | vamos a cenar |
| vosotros / vosotras | vais | vais a salir |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | van | van a comprar |
Heard in real Spanish
Native speakers on YouTube, in videos about something other than grammar. The notion is in pink. Each clip starts a second before the line.
Voy a poner la página web acá.
I'm going to put the website here.
OJALÁ NUNCA HUBIERAMOS VENIDO A ESTA CIUDAD DE ESPAÑA | MADRID 🇪🇸 by Fabri y Rochi · Watch on YouTube
Yo te voy a enseñar otro lugar para desayunar súper rico.
I'm going to show you another place to have a great breakfast.
Come TODO EL DÍA en París con 10€ comprando esto!!! by Esto es Francia · Watch on YouTube
Examples
- Voy a llamar a Ana ahora.I’m going to call Ana now.Immediate future, something about to happen.
- Vamos a cenar fuera el sábado.We’re going to eat out on Saturday.A plan with a specific time.
- Mira esas nubes, va a llover.Look at those clouds, it’s going to rain.Prediction based on visible evidence.
What to remember
- The everyday spoken future is very often “ir” (present) + “a” + infinitive.
- The “a” is never dropped in this structure.
- Use it for something immediate, for a plan, or for a prediction from visible evidence.
- Negation puts “no” before the conjugated “ir”, and questions keep the same order.
- “iba a + infinitivo” expresses a past plan that did not happen.
Check yourself
1 Fill the blank with the correct form to express a future plan.
Yo ___ estudiar esta noche.
- voy a
- voy
- va a
- iba a
Show the answer
voy a. With “yo”, you use “voy”, then “a”, then the infinitive: “voy a estudiar”.
2 Fill the blank with the correct preposition in “ir a + infinitivo”.
Mañana vamos ___ cenar fuera.
- a
- en
- de
- para
Show the answer
a. The structure is fixed: “vamos a + infinitivo”.
Take the full lesson
“Ir a + infinitive: what I am going to do” in the Streal course: the whole explanation, the quiz, and every YouTube extract picked for it. Free to start, nothing to install. The full lesson goes on with the rest of the explanation and more examples, the common mistakes and the practice quiz.