Ir + A (Future) — A1 Grammar

Structure: Ir + A + Infinitive

The pattern is simple: conjugated ir + a + infinitive verb

yo	voy a + infinitive	I am going to…
tú	vas a + infinitive	You are going to…
él/ella/usted	va a + infinitive	He/she is going to…
nosotros	vamos a + infinitive	We are going to…
ellos/ellas	van a + infinitive	They are going to…

Examples with Ir + A

Remember: the infinitive verb never changes, no matter the subject:

Voy a estudiar mañana. = I am going to study tomorrow.

¿Vas a viajar el próximo mes? = Are you going to travel next month?

Ella va a vivir en Barcelona. = She is going to live in Barcelona.

Nosotros vamos a comer pizza. = We are going to eat pizza.

Ellos van a aprender inglés. = They are going to learn English.

Ir + A vs. Future Tense

Ir + a is for immediate or near future plans. Spanish also has a future tense, but ir + a is more common in everyday conversation:

Voy a ir al cine esta noche. = I'm going to go to the cinema tonight. (ir + a = near future, more certain)

Iré al cine mañana. = I will go to the cinema tomorrow. (future tense = less certain)

Both are correct, but ir + a is used more frequently in daily Spanish.

Time Markers with Ir + A

Use these common time expressions with the future:

mañana (tomorrow)
el próximo mes (next month)
la próxima semana (next week)
este fin de semana (this weekend)
en dos horas (in two hours)
después (later / after)
más tarde (later)

Voy a leer el libro la próxima semana. = I'm going to read the book next week.

Van a jugar fútbol este fin de semana. = They're going to play football this weekend.

Negative with Ir + A

To make a negative statement, place no before the conjugated ir:

No voy a trabajar mañana. = I am not going to work tomorrow.

¿No vas a estudiar? = Aren't you going to study?

Ellos no van a llegar a tiempo. = They are not going to arrive on time.

Common Mistakes

Traps for English speakers

These are the errors English speakers make most often.

Voy a la comer

→

Voy a comer

ir + a + infinitive — no article before the verb.

Vamos ir al cine

→

Vamos a ir al cine

Don't drop the a in the ir a + infinitive structure.

Voy a como mañana

→

Voy a comer mañana

Use the infinitive after a, not the conjugated verb.

Key Takeaways

Ir + a + infinitive expresses near future plans.
Always use a between ir and the infinitive verb.
Conjugate only ir; the infinitive never changes.
This is the most natural way to talk about future in Spanish.
Use time markers like mañana, la próxima semana, etc.
To negate, use no + conjugated ir + a + infinitive.

Practice ◆

Ir + A (Near Future)