LinguaIr: a verb that hides its own name
Ir means to go, and none of its present forms look like the infinitive: voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van. Look closer and they are the -ar endings glued to a v: v-oy, v-as, v-a, v-amos, v-ais, v-an. Learn them as a chant; after ten repetitions they are yours.
| Person | Form of ir | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| yo | voy | I go, I am going |
| tú | vas | you go |
| él, ella, usted | va | he, she goes; you go (formal) |
| nosotros, nosotras | vamos | we go |
| vosotros, vosotras | vais | you all go (Spain) |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | van | they go; you all go |
Ir a + place: where you are going
The destination always takes a: voy a la playa, vamos a Madrid, van a casa. Before el the two words fuse into al: voy al cine, al campo, al trabajo. To ask where someone is going, use ¿adónde? (where to), not ¿dónde? (where something is): ¿Adónde vas? – Voy al supermercado.
Ir en + transport, ir a pie
| How you go | Meaning |
|---|---|
| en coche | by car |
| en autobús | by bus |
| en metro | by underground |
| en tren | by train |
| en bici | by bike |
| a pie | on foot |
Transport takes en: voy en coche, vamos en metro. The one exception is walking: a pie, with a and no article. ¿Cómo vas al trabajo? – En autobús. – Yo voy a pie.
Ir a + infinitive: plans and the near future
Ir a + infinitive is going to: voy a estudiar, vamos a comer, van a viajar. Only ir changes; a and the infinitive stay as they are. Add a time word and you have a plan: mañana voy a trabajar, esta noche vamos a bailar, el sábado van a nadar. ¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana?
Este fin de semana vamos a la montaña en coche.This weekend we are going to the mountains by car.
¿Adónde vas esta noche? – Voy al cine con mi hermana.Where are you going tonight? – I am going to the cinema with my sister.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ir | to go | Voy al trabajo a las ocho. I go to work at eight. |
| ¿adónde? | where to? | ¿Adónde va tu hermano? Where is your brother going? |
| ir a + infinitivo | to be going to do something | Mañana voy a comprar pan. Tomorrow I am going to buy bread. |
| en coche | by car | Mi madre va al trabajo en coche. My mother goes to work by car. |
| en autobús | by bus | Los niños van a la escuela en autobús. The children go to school by bus. |
| en metro | by underground, by subway | En Madrid voy siempre en metro. In Madrid I always take the underground. |
| a pie | on foot | El supermercado está cerca: vamos a pie. The supermarket is close: we walk there. |
| la playa | beach | La playa está a diez minutos. The beach is ten minutes away. |
| la montaña | mountain, the mountains | Me gusta mucho la montaña. I really like the mountains. |
| el campo | countryside | Mis abuelos viven en el campo. My grandparents live in the countryside. |
| el fin de semana | weekend | ¿Qué haces el fin de semana? What do you do at the weekend? |
| esta noche | tonight | Esta noche cenamos en casa. Tonight we are having dinner at home. |
Exercises
This lesson has 10 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- match the pairs: 1
- fill the gap: 2
- build the sentence: 1
- translate the sentence: 2
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which is the nosotros form of ir?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.