Chapter 14: El Verbo Ir (The Verb To Go)

Learn the essential verb "ir" to talk about where you're going and future plans in Spanish.

Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Introduction/Warm-up

¡Hola de nuevo! In this chapter, we're going to learn the verb 'ir,' which means 'to go.' This is another incredibly common and useful verb in Spanish. Knowing how to talk about where you and others are going is essential for making plans, giving directions, and discussing future activities. We'll also introduce a simple way to talk about the future using 'ir'!

(Optional Review): Can you recall the present tense conjugations of 'ser,' 'estar,' and 'tener'? Recognizing irregular verbs will be helpful as 'ir' is also irregular!

The Verb "Ir"

Conjugation of "Ir" (Present Tense)

Pronoun Conjugation English Translation
yo voy I go
tú vas you go (informal)
él/ella/usted va he/she/you (formal) goes
nosotros/as vamos we go
vosotros/as vais you go (informal, plural - Spain)
ellos/as/ustedes van they/you (plural) go

Pronunciation Tip: Notice that the conjugation of "ir" is quite irregular. It's important to memorize these forms.

Using "Ir" to Talk About Going to Places

To say where someone is going, you use "ir" + a + [place].

Yo voy a la escuela. (I am going to school.)
Tú vas al parque. (You are going to the park - informal.) (Note: a + el = al)
Él va a casa. (He is going home.)
Ella va a la playa. (She is going to the beach.)
Usted va al restaurante. (You are going to the restaurant - formal.)
Nosotros vamos a México. (We are going to Mexico.)
Vosotros vais a España. (You are going to Spain - informal, plural.)
Ellos van a ver una película. (They are going to see a movie.)
Ustedes van al gimnasio. (You are going to the gym - plural.)

When going to a masculine singular place that starts with "el," "a" and "el" contract to form "al."

ir + a + el cine = ir al cine (to go to the cinema)
ir + a + el supermercado = ir al supermercado (to go to the supermarket)

"Ir a + Infinitive" for Simple Future

The structure "ir a + [infinitive of a verb]" is a common and easy way to express the near future in Spanish (similar to "going to + verb" in English).

Yo voy a comer pizza. (I am going to eat pizza.)
Tú vas a estudiar español. (You are going to study Spanish - informal.)
Él va a trabajar mañana. (He is going to work tomorrow.)
Ella va a beber agua. (She is going to drink water.)
Usted va a visitar a su amigo. (You are going to visit your friend - formal.)
Nosotros vamos a ir al parque. (We are going to go to the park.)
Vosotros vais a ver la televisión. (You are going to watch television - informal, plural.)
Ellos van a comprar un libro. (They are going to buy a book.)
Ustedes van a aprender mucho. (You are going to learn a lot - plural.)

Practice Activities

Practice with Flashcards

Master the verb "ir" and its uses.

Import Chapter 14 Flashcards

(Requires login to import/study)

Recognition Practice:
Exercise 1: Matching Pronoun and "Ir" Conjugation

Instructions: Draw a line (mentally or on paper) to match the Spanish pronoun on the left with the correct present tense conjugation of "ir" on the right.

 yo          (  ) van
 tú          (  ) vamos
 él          (  ) vas
 ella        (  ) voy
 usted       (  ) vais
 nosotros/as (  ) va
 ellos/as    (  ) va   ustedes     (  ) van
 vosotros/as (  ) va

Answer Key:

 yo          →   voy
 tú          →   vas
 él          →   va
 ella        →   va
 usted       →   va
 nosotros/as →   vamos
 ellos/as    →   van  ustedes     →   van
 vosotros/as →   vais
Exercise 2: Identifying "Ir a + Place"

Instructions: Choose the sentence that correctly expresses going to the given place (correct answer bolded in key).

  1. (to the beach)
    a) Yo voy en la playa.
    b) Yo voy a la playa.
  2. (to the cinema)
    a) Tú vas el cine.
    b) Tú vas al cine.
  3. (to home)
    a) Ella va a casa.
    b) Ella va en casa.

Answer Key:

  1. b) Yo voy a la playa.
  2. b) Tú vas al cine.
  3. a) Ella va a casa.
Exercise 3: Recognizing "Ir a + Infinitive"

Instructions: Match the Spanish future phrase on the left with its English equivalent on the right.

 Voy a comer.         (  ) They are going to study.
 Vas a beber agua.     (  ) You are going to drink water.
 Va a trabajar.        (  ) I am going to eat.
 Vamos a ir al parque. (  ) He/She/You (formal) is going to work.
 Van a estudiar.      (  ) We are going to go to the park.

Answer Key:

 Voy a comer.         →   I am going to eat.
 Vas a beber agua.     →   You are going to drink water.
 Va a trabajar.        →   He/She/You (formal) is going to work.
 Vamos a ir al parque. →   We are going to go to the park.
 Van a estudiar.      →   They are going to study.
Production Practice:

Instructions: Practice the following speaking and writing exercises.

Exercise 1: Conjugating "Ir"

Instructions: Fill in the blank with the correct present tense conjugation of "ir."

  1. Yo ________ al supermercado.
  2. ¿Adónde ________ tú?
  3. Él ________ a la biblioteca.
  4. Ella ________ a casa ahora.
  5. Usted ________ a España de vacaciones.
  6. Nosotros ________ al cine esta noche.
  7. ¿A qué hora ________ vosotros al restaurante?
  8. Ellos ________ a ver un partido de fútbol.
  9. Ustedes ________ a aprender mucho español.

Answer Key:

  1. voy
  2. vas
  3. va
  4. va
  5. va
  6. vamos
  7. vais
  8. van
  9. van
Exercise 2: Talking About Where You Go

Instructions: Write three original Spanish sentences using "ir a + [place]" to say where you or others go. Use different subjects.

(No answer key - personalize it)

Exercise 3: Expressing Future Intentions

Instructions: Translate the following English sentences into Spanish using "ir a + infinitive."

  1. I am going to sleep soon.
  2. You (informal) are going to buy a new car.
  3. She is going to study for the exam.
  4. We are going to eat pizza for dinner.
  5. They (masculine) are going to visit their friends.

Answer Key:

  1. Yo voy a dormir pronto.
  2. Tú vas a comprar un coche nuevo.
  3. Ella va a estudiar para el examen.
  4. Nosotros vamos a comer pizza para la cena.
  5. Ellos van a visitar a sus amigos.
Interactive Activity (with a study partner or imagining a scenario):
Exercise 1: "Where Are You Going?"

Instructions: In pairs, take turns asking and answering where you and others are going.

Student A: "¿Adónde vas?"
Student B: "Voy a [place]. ¿Y tú?"
Student A: "Yo voy a [place]."

Also ask about others: "¿Adónde va [name]?"

Exercise 2: "What Are You Going To Do?"

Instructions: In pairs, take turns asking and answering what you and others are going to do using "ir a + infinitive."

Student A: "¿Qué vas a hacer mañana?"
Student B: "Voy a [infinitive]. ¿Y tú?"
Student A: "Yo voy a [infinitive]."

Also ask about others: "¿Qué va a hacer [name]?"

Exercise 3: Planning a Trip

Instructions: In pairs, imagine you are planning a short trip. Take turns saying where you are going to go and what you are going to do there using "ir a."

Example Exchange:

Student A: Vamos a ir a la playa.
Student B: ¡Qué bien! ¿Qué vamos a hacer allí?
Student A: Vamos a nadar y tomar el sol.

Cultural Insight

In Spanish-speaking cultures, discussing plans and future activities is a common part of social interaction. The 'ir a + infinitive' structure provides a simple and frequently used way to talk about what will happen soon.

Travel and visiting different places are often valued, and knowing how to talk about going to various locations is very practical. You'll hear people discussing where they are going for work, leisure, or to visit family and friends.

When giving directions, the verb 'ir' is essential, often combined with prepositions of location (which we will learn in future chapters).

The informality of using 'ir a + infinitive' for the near future makes it a very accessible and common way for people of all ages and social levels to communicate their immediate plans.

La Hora del Cuento (Story Time)

Let's see how "ir" is used in a short story!

La Excursión de Carlos y Sofía

Carlos y Sofía van a ir al parque el sábado.

—¿Qué vamos a hacer en el parque? —pregunta Sofía.

—Vamos a caminar y ver los árboles —responde Carlos—. También vamos a comer un helado. ¿Quieres ir en bicicleta?

—No, gracias —dice Sofía—. Voy a ir a pie.

—¿A qué hora vamos a ir? —pregunta Carlos.

—Vamos a ir a las diez de la mañana —responde Sofía.

El sábado, Carlos y Sofía van al parque. Ven muchos niños. Algunos niños van a jugar al fútbol. Otros niños van a correr.

Carlos y Sofía caminan entre los árboles. Después, van a comprar helados. Carlos quiere un helado grande. Sofía quiere un helado pequeño.

—Voy a beber mi limonada aquí —dice Sofía.

—Yo voy a comer mi helado cerca del lago —dice Carlos.

Es un día bonito. Carlos y Sofía están felices porque van al parque juntos.

Carlos and Sofía's Outing (Translation)

Carlos and Sofía are going to go to the park on Saturday.

—What are we going to do in the park? —Sofía asks.

—We are going to walk and see the trees —Carlos responds—. We are also going to eat an ice cream. Do you want to go by bicycle?

—No, thank you —says Sofía—. I am going to go on foot.

—At what time are we going to go? —Carlos asks.

—We are going to go at ten in the morning —Sofía responds.

On Saturday, Carlos and Sofía go to the park. They see many children. Some children are going to play soccer. Other children are going to run.

Carlos and Sofía walk among the trees. Afterwards, they go to buy ice creams. Carlos wants a big ice cream. Sofía wants a small ice cream.

—I am going to drink my lemonade here —says Sofía.

—I am going to eat my ice cream near the lake —says Carlos.

It is a beautiful day. Carlos and Sofía are happy because they are going to the park together.

Review and Consolidation

Key Vocabulary:

ir (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van), a (to), al (to the - masc. sing.).

Review places: escuela, parque, casa, playa, restaurante, México, España, cine, supermercado, gimnasio, biblioteca.

Review verbs for "ir a": comer, estudiar, trabajar, beber, visitar, ver, comprar, aprender, dormir, caminar, jugar, correr, nadar, tomar el sol.

Key Grammar:

Present tense conjugation of "ir," using "ir a + [place]," using "ir a + infinitive" for the simple future.

Self-Assessment:

Looking Ahead

Excellent work learning the verb 'ir' and how to talk about going places and future plans! In our next chapter, we will learn another very common and versatile verb: 'hacer' (to do/make). You will discover its present tense conjugations and how it's used in various common activities and expressions, such as 'hacer la tarea' (to do homework) and 'hacer frío' (to be cold). Get ready to expand your ability to talk about actions and states!

Previous Chapter: Números 21-100 Next Chapter: El Verbo Hacer