The Animated Book
of SpanishGrammar Reference

The Spanish Near Future: Ir a + Infinitive

Adapted from The Animated Book of Spanish, an interactive Spanish grammar book.

The near future (ir a + infinitive) is the easiest way to talk about the future in Spanish, and the one you'll hear most in conversation. It works just like “going to” in English: voy a hablar means “I'm going to speak.”
Near future of hablar (to speak): the present tense of ir, then a, then the infinitive
Subjectirpresent tenseanever changesinfinitivenever changes
yovoyahablar
túvasahablar
él / ella / ustedvaahablar
nosotrosvamosahablar
vosotrosvaisahablar
ellos / ellas / ustedesvanahablar
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How to form the near future

Take the present tense of ir (to go), add a, then the verb you're going to do, in the infinitive. Ir is irregular, so if you haven't learned it yet, see the present tense.

Only ir changes to match who's doing the action. The a and the infinitive stay exactly the same.

  • Voy a estudiar esta noche.

    I’m going to study tonight.

  • Vamos a cenar en casa de mis padres.

    We’re going to have dinner at my parents’ house.

  • Mis amigos van a llegar tarde.

    My friends are going to arrive late.

To make it negative, put no before ir. To ask a question, just add question marks and raise your voice at the end. The word order stays the same.

  • No voy a trabajar mañana.

    I’m not going to work tomorrow.

  • ¿Vas a venir a la fiesta?

    Are you going to come to the party?

When to use the near future

Anywhere you'd say “going to” in English, you can use ir a + infinitive. It also covers one thing English does differently: let's.

  1. Plans and intentions

    Things you’ve decided to do, from later today to next year.

    • Este verano voy a viajar a México.

      This summer I’m going to travel to Mexico.

    • ¿Qué vas a hacer esta noche?

      What are you going to do tonight?

  2. Predictions

    Things you can see coming, based on what’s in front of you.

    • Mira esas nubes. Va a llover.

      Look at those clouds. It’s going to rain.

    • ¡Cuidado! Te vas a caer.

      Careful! You’re going to fall.

  3. “Let’s…” with vamos a

    Vamos a + infinitive can mean “we’re going to” or “let’s.” Context tells you which.

    • ¡Vamos a comer!

      Let’s eat!

    • No sé… Vamos a ver.

      I don’t know… Let’s see.

Where to put object pronouns

Object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, le, nos, los, las) and reflexive pronouns can go in two places: before the conjugated ir, or attached to the end of the infinitive. Both are correct, they mean exactly the same thing, and you'll hear both all the time.

  1. Before ir
    Lo voy a comprar.
    Attached to the infinitive
    Voy a comprarlo.

    I’m going to buy it.

  2. Before ir
    Te voy a llamar mañana.
    Attached to the infinitive
    Voy a llamarte mañana.

    I’m going to call you tomorrow.

  3. Before ir
    Me voy a duchar.
    Attached to the infinitive
    Voy a ducharme.

    I’m going to take a shower.

  • ¿La vas a invitar?

    or¿Vas a invitarla?

    Are you going to invite her?

  • Nos van a ayudar con la mudanza.

    orVan a ayudarnos con la mudanza.

    They’re going to help us with the move.

  • Mañana se va a levantar tarde.

    orMañana va a levantarse tarde.

    Tomorrow she’s going to get up late.

Common mistakes English speakers make

  1. Leaving out the a

    Incorrect:Voy comer con mis amigos.
    Correct:Voy a comer con mis amigos.

    The a is always there. In fast speech it blends into the next word, so voy a hablar can sound like “voy ablar,” but you still need to say it.

  2. Conjugating the second verb

    Incorrect:Voy a como con mis amigos.
    Correct:Voy a comer con mis amigos.

    Only ir changes. The second verb always stays in the infinitive, ending in ‑ar, ‑er, or ‑ir.

  3. Translating “I’m going to” word for word

    Incorrect:Estoy yendo a comer.
    Correct:Voy a comer.

    English uses the -ing form here, but Spanish uses the simple present of ir. Estoy yendo only means you're on your way somewhere right now.

  4. Putting the pronoun in the middle

    Incorrect:Voy lo a comprar.
    Correct:Lo voy a comprar.

    A pronoun goes before ir or on the end of the infinitive (Voy a comprarlo), never between them.

Questions about the near future

What is the difference between voy a hablar and hablaré?

Both talk about the future. Voy a hablar (ir a + infinitive) is the everyday choice in conversation, especially for plans. Hablaré (the simple future) tends to sound more formal, and it's more common in writing, the news, and promises.

In most conversations you can use either, but ir a is the one you'll hear most.

Can you say "voy a ir" in Spanish?

Yes. Voy a ir ("I'm going to go") is completely normal. The first ir is conjugated and the second one is the infinitive, just like any other verb: Voy a ir al cine el sábado.

Do object pronouns go before or after ir a + infinitive?

Either one. Object and reflexive pronouns can go before the conjugated ir (te voy a llamar) or attached to the end of the infinitive (voy a llamarte). Both are correct and mean exactly the same thing. The only place they can't go is in between.

Next upTener and hacer expressionsTengo hambre, tengo 30 años, hace frío, hace dos años: where Spanish says "have" and "make" instead of "be."

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