Mastering the Spanish Verb ‘Ir’: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding how to conjugate the Spanish verb ‘ir,’ meaning “to go,” is fundamental for anyone learning Spanish. It’s one of the first verbs you’ll encounter, and its irregular conjugation makes it essential to master early on.

This article provides a comprehensive guide to ‘ir’ conjugations, usage, and common pitfalls. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this guide will help you confidently use ‘ir’ in various contexts.

This guide is designed to provide practical examples, clear explanations, and helpful exercises. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of ‘ir’ and its role in expressing movement and future plans in Spanish.

Table of Contents

• Definition of ‘Ir’
• Structural Breakdown of ‘Ir’ Conjugations
• Conjugation Charts for All Tenses
  • Present Tense
  • Preterite Tense
  • Imperfect Tense
  • Future Tense
  • Conditional Tense
  • Present Subjunctive
  • Imperfect Subjunctive
  • Future Subjunctive
  • Present Perfect
  • Past Perfect (Pluperfect)
  • Future Perfect
  • Conditional Perfect
• Examples of ‘Ir’ in Sentences
• Usage Rules for ‘Ir’
  • ‘Ir’ + a + Infinitive for Future Actions
  • Expressing Movement to a Place
  • Idiomatic Expressions with ‘Ir’
• Common Mistakes with ‘Ir’
• Practice Exercises
• Advanced Topics
  • Subjunctive Uses of ‘Ir’
  • Literary and Formal Uses
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

Definition of ‘Ir’

The Spanish verb ‘ir’ is an irregular verb that primarily means “to go.” It’s used to express movement from one place to another. ‘Ir’ is also crucial for forming the near future tense in Spanish, which is a common and easy way to talk about future plans.

Understanding ‘ir’ is essential for basic communication and expressing future intentions in Spanish.

Beyond its basic meaning, ‘ir’ is also found in many idiomatic expressions, adding layers of meaning to its use. It’s a versatile verb whose mastery significantly improves fluency and comprehension.

Structural Breakdown of ‘Ir’ Conjugations

The irregularity of ‘ir’ stems from changes in its stem across different tenses. While some tenses follow predictable patterns, others require memorization due to their unique forms.

The present tense (‘voy,’ ‘vas,’ ‘va,’ ‘vamos,’ ‘vais,’ ‘van’) is completely irregular. The preterite tense also features an irregular stem (‘fui,’ ‘fuiste,’ ‘fue,’ ‘fuimos,’ ‘fuisteis,’ ‘fueron’).

Other tenses, like the imperfect, future, and conditional, are more regular in their endings, but it’s the stem changes that make learning ‘ir’ challenging.

Understanding the stem variations and the correct endings for each tense is crucial. Practice and repetition are key to internalizing these irregular forms.

Conjugation Charts for All Tenses

Below are detailed conjugation charts for the verb ‘ir’ in all major tenses. These charts provide a comprehensive reference for learning and reviewing the different forms of ‘ir’.

Present Tense

The present tense of ‘ir’ is highly irregular and must be memorized. It’s used to describe actions happening now or habitual actions.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Voy	I go
Tú	Vas	You go (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Va	He/She/You go (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Vamos	We go
Vosotros/Vosotras	Vais	You go (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Van	They/You go (formal)

Here are several examples of the present tense of ‘ir’ in use:

Example	Translation
Yo voy al cine los viernes.	I go to the cinema on Fridays.
Tú vas a la playa en verano.	You go to the beach in the summer.
Él va al trabajo en autobús.	He goes to work by bus.
Ella va a la escuela todos los días.	She goes to school every day.
Usted va al médico mañana.	You are going to the doctor tomorrow. (formal)
Nosotros vamos de vacaciones en julio.	We go on vacation in July.
Vosotros vais a la fiesta esta noche.	You are going to the party tonight. (informal, Spain)
Ellos van al parque los domingos.	They go to the park on Sundays.
Ellas van de compras al centro comercial.	They go shopping at the mall.
Ustedes van a la reunión ahora.	You are going to the meeting now. (formal)
Voy a estudiar español todos los días.	I go to study Spanish every day.
Vas a comer en ese restaurante.	You go to eat at that restaurant.
Va a llover pronto.	It’s going to rain soon.
Vamos a ver una película.	We are going to see a movie.
Vais a viajar a España.	You are going to travel to Spain.
Van a llegar tarde.	They are going to arrive late.
Voy a casa después del trabajo.	I go home after work.
Vas al gimnasio por la mañana.	You go to the gym in the morning.
Va al supermercado a comprar comida.	He/She goes to the supermarket to buy food.
Vamos al concierto este fin de semana.	We are going to the concert this weekend.
Vais al cine a menudo.	You go to the cinema often.
Van a la iglesia los domingos.	They go to church on Sundays.
Voy a aprender a bailar salsa.	I am going to learn to dance salsa.
Vas a visitar a tus padres.	You are going to visit your parents.
Va a tomar un curso de cocina.	He/She is going to take a cooking course.
Vamos a celebrar su cumpleaños.	We are going to celebrate his/her birthday.
Vais a estudiar para el examen.	You are going to study for the exam.
Van a construir una casa nueva.	They are going to build a new house.

Preterite Tense

The preterite tense of ‘ir’ is also irregular. It is used to describe completed actions in the past.

Note that the preterite form of ‘ir’ is identical to the preterite form of ‘ser’ (to be), and the context is what clarifies the meaning.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Fui	I went
Tú	Fuiste	You went (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Fue	He/She/You went (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Fuimos	We went
Vosotros/Vosotras	Fuisteis	You went (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Fueron	They/You went (formal)

Here are several examples of the preterite tense of ‘ir’ in use:

Example	Translation
Yo fui al concierto ayer.	I went to the concert yesterday.
Tú fuiste a la fiesta anoche.	You went to the party last night.
Él fue al cine el domingo pasado.	He went to the cinema last Sunday.
Ella fue al supermercado esta mañana.	She went to the supermarket this morning.
Usted fue muy amable conmigo.	You were very kind to me. (formal)
Nosotros fuimos de vacaciones a México.	We went on vacation to Mexico.
Vosotros fuisteis a la playa el verano pasado.	You went to the beach last summer. (informal, Spain)
Ellos fueron al restaurante italiano.	They went to the Italian restaurant.
Ellas fueron de compras al centro comercial.	They went shopping at the mall.
Ustedes fueron a la reunión ayer.	You went to the meeting yesterday. (formal)
Fui a España el año pasado.	I went to Spain last year.
Fuiste a la universidad.	You went to the university.
Fue un día maravilloso.	It was a wonderful day.
Fuimos al parque de atracciones.	We went to the amusement park.
Fuisteis al museo.	You went to the museum.
Fueron a la biblioteca.	They went to the library.
Fui a casa temprano.	I went home early.
Fuiste al gimnasio.	You went to the gym.
Fue al médico.	He/She went to the doctor.
Fuimos al cine.	We went to the cinema.
Fuisteis al teatro.	You went to the theater.
Fueron a la playa.	They went to the beach.
Fui a aprender a bailar.	I went to learn to dance.
Fuiste a visitar a tus abuelos.	You went to visit your grandparents.
Fue a tomar un curso de arte.	He/She went to take an art course.
Fuimos a celebrar su cumpleaños.	We went to celebrate his/her birthday.
Fuisteis a estudiar al extranjero.	You went to study abroad.
Fueron a construir una casa.	They went to build a house.

Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of ‘ir’ is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It is also used to set the scene or describe conditions in the past.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Iba	I used to go/I was going
Tú	Ibas	You used to go/You were going (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Iba	He/She/You used to go/He/She/You were going (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Íbamos	We used to go/We were going
Vosotros/Vosotras	Ibais	You used to go/You were going (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Iban	They/You used to go/They/You were going (formal)

Here are several examples of the imperfect tense of ‘ir’ in use:

Example	Translation
Yo iba al parque todos los días cuando era niño.	I used to go to the park every day when I was a child.
Tú ibas a la escuela en bicicleta.	You used to go to school by bicycle.
Él iba al trabajo caminando.	He used to go to work walking.
Ella iba al gimnasio por las mañanas.	She used to go to the gym in the mornings.
Usted iba a la iglesia todos los domingos.	You used to go to church every Sunday. (formal)
Nosotros íbamos de vacaciones a la playa cada verano.	We used to go on vacation to the beach every summer.
Vosotros ibais al cine los fines de semana.	You used to go to the cinema on weekends. (informal, Spain)
Ellos iban al campo a menudo.	They used to go to the countryside often.
Ellas iban de compras juntas.	They used to go shopping together.
Ustedes iban al teatro con frecuencia.	You used to go to the theater frequently. (formal)
Iba a llover.	It was going to rain.
Ibas a estudiar.	You were going to study.
Iba a ser un buen día.	It was going to be a good day.
Íbamos a comer fuera.	We were going to eat out.
Ibais a viajar.	You were going to travel.
Iban a llegar tarde.	They were going to arrive late.
Iba a casa después de la escuela.	I used to go home after school.
Ibas al gimnasio.	You used to go to the gym.
Iba al mercado.	He/She used to go to the market.
Íbamos al parque.	We used to go to the park.
Ibais a la fiesta.	You used to go to the party.
Iban a la iglesia.	They used to go to church.
Iba a aprender un idioma.	I was going to learn a language.
Ibas a visitar a tus abuelos.	You were going to visit your grandparents.
Iba a tomar un curso.	He/She was going to take a course.
Íbamos a celebrar.	We were going to celebrate.
Ibais a estudiar.	You were going to study.
Iban a construir algo.	They were going to build something.

Future Tense

The future tense of ‘ir’ is regular and is formed by adding the appropriate endings to the infinitive ‘ir’. It expresses actions that will happen in the future.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Iré	I will go
Tú	Irás	You will go (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Irá	He/She/You will go (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Iremos	We will go
Vosotros/Vosotras	Iréis	You will go (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Irán	They/You will go (formal)

Here are several examples of the future tense of ‘ir’ in use:

Example	Translation
Yo iré a España el próximo año.	I will go to Spain next year.
Tú irás a la universidad después de la escuela secundaria.	You will go to the university after high school.
Él irá al trabajo en coche mañana.	He will go to work by car tomorrow.
Ella irá al cine con sus amigos.	She will go to the cinema with her friends.
Usted irá al médico la semana que viene.	You will go to the doctor next week. (formal)
Nosotros iremos de vacaciones a Italia.	We will go on vacation to Italy.
Vosotros iréis a la fiesta de cumpleaños.	You will go to the birthday party. (informal, Spain)
Ellos irán al estadio a ver el partido.	They will go to the stadium to watch the game.
Ellas irán de compras el sábado.	They will go shopping on Saturday.
Ustedes irán a la conferencia.	You will go to the conference. (formal)
Iré al supermercado.	I will go to the supermarket.
Irás a la playa.	You will go to the beach.
Irá a la fiesta.	He/She will go to the party.
Iremos al cine.	We will go to the cinema.
Iréis al concierto.	You will go to the concert.
Irán al restaurante.	They will go to the restaurant.
Iré a casa.	I will go home.
Irás al gimnasio mañana.	You will go to the gym tomorrow.
Irá al trabajo.	He/She will go to work.
Iremos de viaje.	We will go on a trip.
Iréis a la universidad.	You will go to the university.
Irán a la escuela.	They will go to school.
Iré a visitar a mi familia.	I will go to visit my family.
Irás a estudiar.	You will go to study.
Irá a tomar un café.	He/She will go to have a coffee.
Iremos a celebrar.	We will go to celebrate.
Iréis a bailar.	You will go to dance.
Irán a construir una casa.	They will go to build a house.

Conditional Tense

The conditional tense of ‘ir’ is regular and expresses what would happen under certain conditions. It’s formed by adding conditional endings to the infinitive ‘ir’.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Iría	I would go
Tú	Irías	You would go (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Iría	He/She/You would go (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Iríamos	We would go
Vosotros/Vosotras	Iríais	You would go (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Irían	They/You would go (formal)

Here are several examples of the conditional tense of ‘ir’ in use:

Example	Translation
Yo iría a la playa si tuviera tiempo.	I would go to the beach if I had time.
Tú irías al concierto si tuvieras dinero.	You would go to the concert if you had money.
Él iría al cine si no estuviera trabajando.	He would go to the cinema if he weren’t working.
Ella iría de compras si no estuviera enferma.	She would go shopping if she weren’t sick.
Usted iría a la reunión si pudiera.	You would go to the meeting if you could. (formal)
Nosotros iríamos de vacaciones si tuviéramos más dinero.	We would go on vacation if we had more money.
Vosotros iríais a la fiesta si os invitaran.	You would go to the party if you were invited. (informal, Spain)
Ellos irían al parque si hiciera buen tiempo.	They would go to the park if the weather were nice.
Ellas irían al teatro si tuvieran entradas.	They would go to the theater if they had tickets.
Ustedes irían a la conferencia si tuvieran la oportunidad.	You would go to the conference if you had the opportunity. (formal)
Iría si pudiera.	I would go if I could.
Irías si quisieras.	You would go if you wanted.
Iría si tuviera tiempo.	He/She would go if he/she had time.
Iríamos si nos invitaran.	We would go if they invited us.
Iríais si tuvierais dinero.	You would go if you had money.
Irían si no estuvieran ocupados.	They would go if they weren’t busy.
Iría a casa si no tuviera que trabajar.	I would go home if I didn’t have to work.
Irías al gimnasio si no estuvieras cansado.	You would go to the gym if you weren’t tired.
Iría al mercado si no estuviera lloviendo.	He/She would go to the market if it weren’t raining.
Iríamos al parque si hiciera sol.	We would go to the park if it were sunny.
Iríais a la fiesta si no tuvierais que estudiar.	You would go to the party if you didn’t have to study.
Irían a la iglesia si tuvieran tiempo.	They would go to church if they had time.
Iría a aprender si tuviera un maestro.	I would go to learn if I had a teacher.
Irías a visitar si no estuvieran lejos.	You would go to visit if they weren’t far away.
Iría a tomar un café si no tuviera prisa.	He/She would go to have a coffee if he/she weren’t in a hurry.
Iríamos a celebrar si ganáramos.	We would go to celebrate if we won.
Iríais a bailar si hubiera música.	You would go to dance if there were music.
Irían a construir si tuvieran los materiales.	They would go to build if they had the materials.

Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive of ‘ir’ is used in dependent clauses to express desires, doubts, possibilities, or necessities. It is often triggered by impersonal expressions or verbs of influence.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Vaya	That I go
Tú	Vayas	That you go (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Vaya	That he/she/you go (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Vayamos	That we go
Vosotros/Vosotras	Vayáis	That you go (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Vayan	That they/you go (formal)

Here are several examples of the present subjunctive of ‘ir’ in use:

Example	Translation
Es importante que yo vaya al médico.	It’s important that I go to the doctor.
Es necesario que tú vayas a la escuela.	It’s necessary that you go to school.
Quiero que él vaya a la fiesta.	I want him to go to the party.
Sugiero que ella vaya al supermercado.	I suggest that she go to the supermarket.
Espero que usted vaya a la reunión.	I hope that you go to the meeting. (formal)
Es fundamental que nosotros vayamos de vacaciones.	It’s fundamental that we go on vacation.
Es crucial que vosotros vayáis a la universidad.	It’s crucial that you go to the university. (informal, Spain)
Dudo que ellos vayan al concierto.	I doubt that they will go to the concert.
No creo que ellas vayan de compras.	I don’t think they will go shopping.
Es preferible que ustedes vayan al teatro.	It’s preferable that you go to the theater. (formal)

Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive of ‘ir’ is used to express hypothetical or past subjunctive actions. There are two forms, but the -ra form is more commonly used.

-ra form

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Fuera	That I went/were to go
Tú	Fueras	That you went/were to go (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Fuera	That he/she/you went/were to go (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Fuéramos	That we went/were to go
Vosotros/Vosotras	Fuerais	That you went/were to go (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Fueran	That they/you went/were to go (formal)

-se form

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Fuese	That I went/were to go
Tú	Fueses	That you went/were to go (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Fuese	That he/she/you went/were to go (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Fuésemos	That we went/were to go
Vosotros/Vosotras	Fueseis	That you went/were to go (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Fuesen	That they/you went/were to go (formal)

Future Subjunctive

The future subjunctive of ‘ir’ is rarely used in modern Spanish. You might encounter it in legal or literary contexts.

It expresses a future action in a subordinate clause.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Fuere	If I should go
Tú	Fueres	If you should go (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Fuere	If he/she/you should go (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Fuéremos	If we should go
Vosotros/Vosotras	Fuereis	If you should go (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Fueren	If they/you should go (formal)

Present Perfect

The present perfect of ‘ir’ is formed with the auxiliary verb “haber” (to have) and the past participle “ido.” It expresses actions that have been completed at some point in the past and are still relevant to the present.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	He ido	I have gone
Tú	Has ido	You have gone (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Ha ido	He/She/You have gone (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Hemos ido	We have gone
Vosotros/Vosotras	Habéis ido	You have gone (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Han ido	They/You have gone (formal)

Past Perfect (Pluperfect)

The past perfect (pluperfect) of ‘ir’ is formed with the auxiliary verb “haber” in the imperfect tense and the past participle “ido.” It expresses actions that had been completed before another point in the past.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Había ido	I had gone
Tú	Habías ido	You had gone (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Había ido	He/She/You had gone (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Habíamos ido	We had gone
Vosotros/Vosotras	Habíais ido	You had gone (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Habían ido	They/You had gone (formal)

Future Perfect

The future perfect of ‘ir’ is formed with the future tense of “haber” and the past participle “ido.” It expresses actions that will have been completed by a certain time in the future.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Habré ido	I will have gone
Tú	Habrás ido	You will have gone (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Habrá ido	He/She/You will have gone (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Habremos ido	We will have gone
Vosotros/Vosotras	Habréis ido	You will have gone (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Habrán ido	They/You will have gone (formal)

Conditional Perfect

The conditional perfect of ‘ir’ is formed with the conditional tense of “haber” and the past participle “ido.” It expresses what would have happened under certain conditions in the past.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Habría ido	I would have gone
Tú	Habrías ido	You would have gone (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	Habría ido	He/She/You would have gone (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Habríamos ido	We would have gone
Vosotros/Vosotras	Habríais ido	You would have gone (informal, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Habrían ido	They/You would have gone (formal)

Examples of ‘Ir’ in Sentences

Here are some examples of ‘ir’ used in various contexts to illustrate its versatility:

• Voy a la tienda. (I am going to the store.)
• Vamos a comer. (We are going to eat.)
• ¿Vas a venir a la fiesta? (Are you going to come to the party?)
• Ella va a estudiar medicina. (She is going to study medicine.)
• Ellos van al cine todos los viernes. (They go to the cinema every Friday.)
• Si tuviera tiempo, iría al gimnasio. (If I had time, I would go to the gym.)
• Es importante que vayas a la entrevista. (It’s important that you go to the interview.)

Usage Rules for ‘Ir’

Understanding the rules for using ‘ir’ correctly can significantly improve your Spanish. Here are some key guidelines:

‘Ir’ + a + Infinitive for Future Actions

One of the most common uses of ‘ir’ is to express future actions using the structure ‘ir + a + infinitive.’ This is equivalent to “going to” in English.

Expressing Movement to a Place

‘Ir’ is used to indicate movement from one place to another. It often requires the preposition ‘a’ (to) or ‘en’ (in/on) depending on the context.

Idiomatic Expressions with ‘Ir’

‘Ir’ appears in numerous idiomatic expressions, each with its own unique meaning. Learning these expressions can enrich your vocabulary and understanding of Spanish culture.

Common Mistakes with ‘Ir’

Even advanced learners sometimes make mistakes with ‘ir’. Here are some common errors to watch out for:

• Incorrect Prepositions: Using the wrong preposition after ‘ir’ (e.g., ‘ir en’ instead of ‘ir a’ when going to a place).
• Confusing ‘Ir’ and ‘Ser’: In the preterite tense, ‘ir’ and ‘ser’ have the same forms. Context is crucial to differentiate their meanings.
• Forgetting Irregular Forms: Neglecting to memorize the irregular forms, especially in the present and preterite tenses.

Practice Exercises

Test your knowledge of ‘ir’ with these practice exercises. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of ‘ir’.

Advanced Topics

For advanced learners, exploring the more nuanced uses of ‘ir’ can further enhance your proficiency.

Subjunctive Uses of ‘Ir’

The subjunctive mood with ‘ir’ is used in situations expressing doubt, desire, or uncertainty. It often appears after verbs of influence or impersonal expressions.

Literary and Formal Uses

In literary and formal contexts, ‘ir’ can be used in ways that are less common in everyday speech. Recognizing these uses can improve your comprehension of more complex texts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Mastering the Spanish verb ‘ir’ is crucial for effective communication in Spanish. Its irregular conjugations and varied uses make it a verb worth studying in detail.

By understanding the different tenses, usage rules, and common mistakes, you can confidently use ‘ir’ in a wide range of contexts. Keep practicing, and you’ll soon find yourself fluently expressing movement, future plans, and more with this essential verb.