The Verb IR "to go"
The Spanish verb ir "to go" is one of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish. It can be used for everything from announcing where you are going to what you are going to do.
The verb ir "to go" happens to be a highly irregular verb. Like ser "to be," it doesn't follow the normal patterns for verb conjugations. Can you imagine why? For example, try to conjugate ir "to go" by taking the infinitive –ir ending away… and you'll find there's nothing left!
Therefore, you'll have to memorize the following pattern for ir "to go" in the present tense:
| Pronoun | Present tense of ir |
|---|---|
| yo | voy |
| tú | vas |
| ustedes / él / ella | va |
| nosotros/as | vamos |
| vosotros/as | vais |
| ustedes / ellos / ellas | van |
Important! Remember What You Learn
IR "to go" in use
If you want to say, "I am going to the beach," in English, you know that you'll have to add the word "to" after the verb "to go." Similarly, in Spanish, the verb ir "to go" is almost always followed by a "to." For example, the preceding sentence would be translated as: voy a la playa "(I) am going to the beach."
If the noun that follows the a "to" is masculine and singular, as in el mercado "the market," you must combine the two sounds of a "to" and el "the" into a single sound: al "to the."
a + el = al
For example, if you wanted to say "I am going to the market," you would say, voy al mercado NOT voy a el mercado.
Por ejemplo:
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IR "to go" in the future: What is going to happen?
The simplest way to express that something is going to happen in the future is to use the verb ir "to go" just as it was used in this sentence.
In order to express what is going to happen, add the appropriate conjugated form of ir "to go" plus a "to" before the infinitive form of the verb.
Por ejemplo:
Check out more Spanish Verbs for useful info! Here are some recommended lessons:
- Spanish Verbs Pedir and Preguntar
- Spanish Verbs Decir & Dar
- Spanish Verbs in the Present Tense and Conjugations
See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!
Mauricio Evlampieff: Rocket Spanish