How to Use Ir in Spanish: Going Places, Future Plans, and Phrases
Ir is one of the first verbs every Spanish learner encounters and one of the most important verbs in the entire language. Its core meaning is simple: to go. But ir does far more than express movement from one place to another. It forms one of the most useful and most frequently used grammatical constructions in all of Spanish, the periphrastic future, which allows speakers to talk about upcoming plans and intentions without learning a single new conjugation. It appears in a collection of fixed expressions that are essential to natural conversation. And its conjugation is one of the most irregular in the language, which means it requires specific attention and practice.
This guide covers ir completely: the full conjugation across every tense with English translations, the core meaning of movement, the voy a future construction, the reflexive form irse, fixed expressions, and real workplace examples throughout.
What Ir Means and Why It Matters
The core meaning of ir is "to go," covering movement from one place to another. But Spanish uses ir in ways that extend well beyond physical movement. The construction ir a + infinitive, meaning "going to" + verb, is how Spanish speakers most commonly express future plans and intentions in everyday speech. It is more natural, more frequent, and more versatile than the formal future tense in conversational Spanish, and it works across every tense of ir to create a range of future and planned action expressions.
Understanding ir fully means understanding both its role as a movement verb and its role as the engine of the most common future expression in Spanish.
Complete Conjugation Reference for Ir
Ir is one of the most irregular verbs in Spanish. Its present tense, preterite, and imperfect forms are completely irregular and must be memorized as complete sets. Note that the preterite of ir is identical to the preterite of ser (to be). Context always makes the meaning clear.
Present Indicative
Yo → voy (I go / I am going)
Tú → vas (you go / you are going, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → va (he goes / she goes / you go, formal)
Nosotros → vamos (we go / we are going)
Vosotros → vais (you all go, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → van (they go / you all go)
Preterite
Yo → fui (I went)
Tú → fuiste (you went, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → fue (he went / she went / you went, formal)
Nosotros → fuimos (we went)
Vosotros → fuisteis (you all went, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → fueron (they went / you all went)
Imperfect
Yo → iba (I was going / I used to go)
Tú → ibas (you were going / you used to go, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → iba (he was going / she was going / you were going, formal)
Nosotros → íbamos (we were going / we used to go)
Vosotros → ibais (you all were going, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → iban (they were going / you all were going)
Future
Yo → iré (I will go)
Tú → irás (you will go, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → irá (he will go / she will go / you will go, formal)
Nosotros → iremos (we will go)
Vosotros → iréis (you all will go, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → irán (they will go / you all will go)
Conditional
Yo → iría (I would go)
Tú → irías (you would go, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → iría (he would go / she would go / you would go, formal)
Nosotros → iríamos (we would go)
Vosotros → iríais (you all would go, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → irían (they would go / you all would go)
Present Subjunctive
Yo → vaya (that I go)
Tú → vayas (that you go, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → vaya (that he / she / you go)
Nosotros → vayamos (that we go)
Vosotros → vayáis (that you all go, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → vayan (that they / you all go)
Imperfect Subjunctive (most common form)
Yo → fuera (that I went / if I went)
Tú → fueras (that you went / if you went, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → fuera (that he / she / you went)
Nosotros → fuéramos (that we went / if we went)
Vosotros → fuerais (that you all went, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → fueran (that they / you all went)
Imperfect Subjunctive (alternative form)
Yo → fuese (that I went / if I went)
Tú → fueses (that you went / if you went, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → fuese (that he / she / you went)
Nosotros → fuésemos (that we went / if we went)
Vosotros → fueseis (that you all went, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → fuesen (that they / you all went)
Future Subjunctive (rare, appears in legal and literary texts)
Yo → fuere (should I go)
Tú → fueres (should you go, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → fuere (should he / she / you go)
Nosotros → fuéremos (should we go)
Vosotros → fuereis (should you all go, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → fueren (should they / you all go)
Present Perfect
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 → hemos ido (we have gone)
Vosotros → habéis ido (you all have gone, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → han ido (they / you all have gone)
Past Perfect (Pluperfect)
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 → habíamos ido (we had gone)
Vosotros → habíais ido (you all had gone, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → habían ido (they / you all had gone)
Future Perfect
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 → habremos ido (we will have gone)
Vosotros → habréis ido (you all will have gone, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → habrán ido (they / you all will have gone)
Conditional Perfect
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 → habríamos ido (we would have gone)
Vosotros → habríais ido (you all would have gone, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → habrían ido (they / you all would have gone)
Present Perfect Subjunctive
Yo → haya ido (that I have gone)
Tú → hayas ido (that you have gone, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → haya ido (that he / she / you have gone)
Nosotros → hayamos ido (that we have gone)
Vosotros → hayáis ido (that you all have gone, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → hayan ido (that they / you all have gone)
Past Perfect Subjunctive (most common form)
Yo → hubiera ido (that I had gone / if I had gone)
Tú → hubieras ido (that you had gone / if you had gone, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → hubiera ido (that he / she / you had gone)
Nosotros → hubiéramos ido (that we had gone / if we had gone)
Vosotros → hubierais ido (that you all had gone, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → hubieran ido (that they / you all had gone)
Past Perfect Subjunctive (alternative form)
Yo → hubiese ido (that I had gone / if I had gone)
Tú → hubieses ido (that you had gone, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → hubiese ido (that he / she / you had gone)
Nosotros → hubiésemos ido (that we had gone / if we had gone)
Vosotros → hubieseis ido (that you all had gone, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → hubiesen ido (that they / you all had gone)
Commands (Imperative)
Tú (affirmative) → ve (go, informal)
Tú (negative) → no vayas (do not go, informal)
Usted (affirmative) → vaya (go, formal)
Usted (negative) → no vaya (do not go, formal)
Nosotros (affirmative) → vayamos / vamos (let us go)
Nosotros (negative) → no vayamos (let us not go)
Vosotros (affirmative) → id (go, Spain)
Vosotros (negative) → no vayáis (do not go, Spain)
Ustedes (affirmative) → vayan (go, formal plural)
Ustedes (negative) → no vayan (do not go, formal plural)
Gerund: yendo (going) Past Participle: ido (gone)
Use 1: Movement and Going Places
The core meaning of ir is to go from one place to another. It is always used with a destination, expressed with the preposition a (to).
Structure: ir + a + destination
I am going to the hospital. → Voy al hospital.
She is going to work. → Va al trabajo.
Where are you going? → ¿A dónde va?
He went to the clinic yesterday. → Fue a la clínica ayer.
We are going to the meeting. → Vamos a la reunión.
They went home early. → Fueron a casa temprano.
Go to the nurse's station. → Vaya a la estación de enfermería.
Do not go near the construction zone. → No vaya cerca de la zona de construcción.
Ir vs. Venir:
Ir means to go (away from where the speaker is). Venir means to come (toward where the speaker is). This distinction mirrors the English difference between "go" and "come" and is important for natural Spanish communication.
I am going to your office. → Voy a su oficina. (moving away from where I am)
Come to my office. → Venga a mi oficina. (moving toward where I am)
In workplace contexts:
Healthcare:
Go to the waiting room. → Vaya a la sala de espera.
The patient went to the emergency room. → El paciente fue a la sala de emergencias.
I am going to check on the patient. → Voy a revisar al paciente.
She is going to the pharmacy. → Va a la farmacia.
Where did the doctor go? → ¿A dónde fue el médico?
Construction:
Go to the site office. → Vaya a la oficina del sitio.
He went to get more materials. → Fue a buscar más materiales.
Where are you going with that equipment? → ¿A dónde va con ese equipo?
We are going to the next job. → Vamos al siguiente trabajo.
Education:
Go to the principal's office. → Ve a la oficina de la directora.
She went to the library. → Fue a la biblioteca.
Where are the students going? → ¿A dónde van los estudiantes?
We are going on a field trip next week. → Vamos de excursión la próxima semana.
Management:
I am going to a conference next week. → Voy a una conferencia la próxima semana.
She went to the main office this morning. → Fue a la oficina principal esta mañana.
Go to HR for the paperwork. → Vaya a recursos humanos para el papeleo.
Where did the team go after the meeting? → ¿A dónde fue el equipo después de la reunión?
Use 2: Ir A + Infinitive — The Periphrastic Future
This is the most important grammatical construction involving ir and one of the most important constructions in all of conversational Spanish. Ir a + infinitive expresses what someone is going to do, covering future plans, intentions, and upcoming actions. It is the Spanish equivalent of "going to" + verb in English and is far more common in everyday speech than the formal future tense.
Structure: ir (conjugated) + a + infinitive
Present tense ir + a + infinitive (immediate or planned future):
I am going to work tomorrow. → Voy a trabajar mañana.
She is going to call the patient. → Va a llamar al paciente.
We are going to start the project on Monday. → Vamos a empezar el proyecto el lunes.
He is going to need surgery. → Va a necesitar cirugía.
What are you going to do? → ¿Qué va a hacer?
They are going to hire more staff. → Van a contratar más personal.
It is going to rain today. → Va a llover hoy.
I am going to explain the procedure. → Voy a explicar el procedimiento.
Imperfect tense ir + a + infinitive (was going to / planned but possibly didn't happen):
The imperfect of ir + a + infinitive expresses what someone was going to do, a plan or intention in the past that may or may not have been carried out.
I was going to call you yesterday. → Iba a llamarte ayer.
She was going to attend the meeting but couldn't. → Iba a asistir a la reunión pero no pudo.
We were going to start early but the rain stopped us. → Íbamos a empezar temprano pero la lluvia nos detuvo.
He was going to resign. → Iba a renunciar.
They were going to expand the team. → Iban a ampliar el equipo.
In workplace contexts:
Healthcare:
I am going to take your blood pressure. → Voy a tomarle la presión.
The doctor is going to see you in a few minutes. → El médico va a verle en unos minutos.
We are going to need more tests. → Vamos a necesitar más pruebas.
She is going to be discharged tomorrow. → Va a recibir el alta mañana.
I was going to call the family but the doctor did it first. → Iba a llamar a la familia pero el médico lo hizo primero.
Construction:
We are going to pour the concrete tomorrow. → Vamos a vaciar el concreto mañana.
He is going to install the electrical system this week. → Va a instalar el sistema eléctrico esta semana.
I am going to inspect the work before we continue. → Voy a inspeccionar el trabajo antes de continuar.
They are going to finish the roof by Friday. → Van a terminar el techo para el viernes.
We were going to start today but the materials did not arrive. → Íbamos a empezar hoy pero los materiales no llegaron.
Education:
We are going to have a test on Friday. → Vamos a tener un examen el viernes.
I am going to explain the assignment now. → Voy a explicar la tarea ahora.
She is going to graduate in June. → Va a graduarse en junio.
The students are going to present their projects next week. → Los estudiantes van a presentar sus proyectos la próxima semana.
Management:
We are going to review the policy next month. → Vamos a revisar la política el próximo mes.
She is going to be promoted. → Va a ser promovida.
I am going to need that report by Thursday. → Voy a necesitar ese informe para el jueves.
They are going to hire ten new employees. → Van a contratar diez nuevos empleados.
We were going to launch in January but delayed. → Íbamos a lanzar en enero pero nos retrasamos.
Use 3: Irse — To Leave
The reflexive form irse means to leave or to go away. It is one of the most important reflexive verbs in Spanish and one of the verbs that changes meaning when used reflexively.
Ir → to go (somewhere specific, with a destination)
Irse → to leave (depart, go away, without necessarily naming a destination)
He left without saying goodbye. → Se fue sin despedirse.
What time are you leaving? → ¿A qué hora se va?
She left early today. → Se fue temprano hoy.
I have to leave now. → Tengo que irme ahora.
Do not leave without signing out. → No se vaya sin registrar su salida.
When did they leave? → ¿Cuándo se fueron?
We are leaving at six. → Nos vamos a las seis.
He left the company last month. → Se fue de la empresa el mes pasado.
In workplace contexts:
Healthcare:
The patient left against medical advice. → El paciente se fue en contra del consejo médico.
What time does the night shift leave? → ¿A qué hora se va el turno de noche?
Do not leave until your replacement arrives. → No se vaya hasta que llegue su reemplazo.
Construction:
Do not leave the site without permission. → No se vaya del sitio sin permiso.
He left early because he was not feeling well. → Se fue temprano porque no se sentía bien.
Everyone left at four o'clock. → Todos se fueron a las cuatro.
Management:
She left the company after ten years. → Se fue de la empresa después de diez años.
Do not leave before the meeting ends. → No se vaya antes de que termine la reunión.
What time did the team leave? → ¿A qué hora se fue el equipo?
Use 4: Vamos — Let's Go and Beyond
Vamos is the first person plural present of ir, meaning "we go" or "we are going." But in everyday Spanish, it functions as much more than a conjugated verb form.
Vamos as a suggestion or command (let's go):
Let's go. → Vamos.
Let's go to the meeting. → Vamos a la reunión.
Come on, let's go. → Vamos, vámonos.
Let's get started. → Vamos a empezar.
Vamos as an encouragement:
Come on. → Vamos.
You can do it. Come on. → Puedes hacerlo. Vamos.
Keep going. → Vamos, sigue.
Vamos a ver (let's see):
This fixed expression is one of the most frequently used phrases in everyday Spanish. It expresses "let's see" in the sense of evaluating, checking, or considering something.
Let's see what we have. → Vamos a ver qué tenemos.
Let's see if this works. → Vamos a ver si esto funciona.
Let's see what the doctor says. → Vamos a ver qué dice el médico.
Let me see. → Vamos a ver. / A ver.
In workplace contexts:
Let's start the meeting. Vamos. → Empecemos la reunión. Vamos.
Let's see what the results say. → Vamos a ver qué dicen los resultados.
Let's go over the plan one more time. → Vamos a repasar el plan una vez más.
Come on, we can finish this. → Vamos, podemos terminar esto.
Use 5: Ir in the Preterite vs. the Imperfect
Understanding the difference between the preterite and imperfect of ir is essential for accurate past tense communication.
Preterite: expresses a specific completed trip or movement.
She went to the hospital yesterday. → Fue al hospital ayer.
We went to the meeting this morning. → Fuimos a la reunión esta mañana.
He went home early. → Fue a casa temprano.
Where did you go on your day off? → ¿A dónde fue en su día libre?
Imperfect: expresses habitual going or ongoing movement in the past.
She used to go to the clinic every Monday. → Iba a la clínica todos los lunes.
We were going to the meeting when the call came. → Íbamos a la reunión cuando llegó la llamada.
He always went to the cafeteria at noon. → Siempre iba a la cafetería al mediodía.
Where were you going when I saw you? → ¿A dónde ibas cuando te vi?
The distinction in practice:
Fui al hospital ayer. → I went to the hospital yesterday. (one specific completed trip)
Iba al hospital todos los martes. → I used to go to the hospital every Tuesday. (habitual)
Iba al hospital cuando me llamaron. → I was going to the hospital when they called me. (ongoing action interrupted)
Fixed Expressions and Phrases With Ir
Ir appears in a number of fixed expressions and phrases that are essential for natural Spanish communication.
Common ir expressions:
How is it going? → ¿Cómo te va? / ¿Cómo le va?
How is everything going? → ¿Cómo va todo?
How is the project going? → ¿Cómo va el proyecto?
It is going well. → Va bien.
It is going badly. → Va mal.
Things are going well. → Las cosas van bien.
Let's see. → Vamos a ver. / A ver.
Let's go. → Vamos. / Vámonos.
Here we go. → Allá vamos.
That goes without saying. → Eso va de suyo.
It goes there. → Va allí.
Where does this go? → ¿A dónde va esto?
This is not working out. → Esto no va bien.
How is the patient doing? → ¿Cómo va el paciente?
How is the treatment going? → ¿Cómo va el tratamiento?
How is the construction going? → ¿Cómo va la construcción?
How is the project going? → ¿Cómo va el proyecto?
Ir + gerund (progressive movement):
Ir + gerund expresses a gradual, ongoing process or movement. It is different from estar + gerund which expresses a current ongoing action.
The situation is gradually improving. → La situación va mejorando.
The patient is slowly recovering. → El paciente va recuperándose.
The project is coming along. → El proyecto va avanzando.
Things are getting better little by little. → Las cosas van mejorando poco a poco.
In workplace contexts:
How is the new employee doing? → ¿Cómo le va al nuevo empleado?
How is the construction going? → ¿Cómo va la construcción?
The patient is gradually improving. → El paciente va mejorando.
Let's see what the lab results say. → Vamos a ver qué dicen los resultados del laboratorio.
Things are getting better. → Las cosas van mejorando.
How is everything going with the project? → ¿Cómo va todo con el proyecto?
Ir in Real Workplace Conversations
Healthcare:
Go to the waiting room please. → Vaya a la sala de espera por favor.
I am going to take your vital signs. → Voy a tomarle los signos vitales.
The doctor is going to see you shortly. → El médico va a verle en breve.
How is the patient doing? → ¿Cómo va el paciente?
She went to radiology for a scan. → Fue a radiología para un estudio.
Do not leave without signing the discharge papers. → No se vaya sin firmar los papeles del alta.
We are going to need more tests. → Vamos a necesitar más pruebas.
The patient was going to be discharged but her condition changed. → La paciente iba a recibir el alta pero su condición cambió.
He is gradually recovering. → Va recuperándose.
Let's see what the results say. → Vamos a ver qué dicen los resultados.
Construction:
Go to the site office for your assignment. → Vaya a la oficina del sitio para su asignación.
We are going to pour the foundation tomorrow. → Vamos a vaciar la cimentación mañana.
Where are you going with that equipment? → ¿A dónde va con ese equipo?
He left the site without permission. → Se fue del sitio sin permiso.
How is the project going? → ¿Cómo va el proyecto?
We were going to start today but the materials are delayed. → Íbamos a empezar hoy pero los materiales están retrasados.
Do not leave until the inspection is complete. → No se vaya hasta que la inspección esté completa.
The project is gradually coming together. → El proyecto va tomando forma.
Education:
Go to your seat please. → Ve a tu asiento por favor.
We are going to have a quiz tomorrow. → Vamos a tener un examen corto mañana.
She went to the principal's office. → Fue a la oficina de la directora.
How are the students doing? → ¿Cómo les va a los estudiantes?
I am going to explain the assignment now. → Voy a explicar la tarea ahora.
He used to go to tutoring every Thursday. → Iba a tutoría todos los jueves.
The students are going to present next week. → Los estudiantes van a presentar la próxima semana.
Things are going well in this class. → Las cosas van bien en esta clase.
Management and HR:
I am going to need that report by end of day. → Voy a necesitar ese informe para el final del día.
She went to the main office for training. → Fue a la oficina principal para la capacitación.
We are going to hire five new people next month. → Vamos a contratar cinco personas nuevas el próximo mes.
How is the new employee doing? → ¿Cómo le va al nuevo empleado?
He left the company last week. → Se fue de la empresa la semana pasada.
We were going to implement the policy sooner but delayed. → Íbamos a implementar la política antes pero nos retrasamos.
Do not leave before checking in with your supervisor. → No se vaya sin hablar con su supervisor.
The team is gradually adapting to the new system. → El equipo va adaptándose al nuevo sistema.
Common Mistakes With Ir
Forgetting the preposition a before a destination. Voy el hospital is incorrect. Voy al hospital is correct. Ir always requires a before a destination noun.
Confusing ir and irse. Voy means I am going (somewhere, with a destination). Me voy means I am leaving (departing, without necessarily naming a destination). They are not interchangeable and native speakers hear the difference immediately.
Using ir preterite when ser preterite is needed. The preterite forms fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fueron are identical for both ir and ser. Context determines the meaning. Fue al hospital means "he went to the hospital." Fue médico means "he was a doctor." Do not let the shared forms create confusion.
Using estar + yendo instead of ir a + infinitive. Estoy yendo a trabajar is grammatically possible but unusual in most contexts. Voy a trabajar is the natural form for "I am going to work."
Forgetting that vamos a + infinitive is the most natural future in conversation. Many learners default to the formal future tense (trabajaré) when conversational Spanish would use voy a trabajar. The voy a construction is more natural, more common, and more immediately understood in everyday speech.
A Quick Reference: Ir Uses and Key Constructions
To go (somewhere) → ir a + destination
Going to do something (future) → ir a + infinitive
To leave / go away → irse
Let's go → vamos
Let's see → vamos a ver
How is it going? → ¿Cómo va?
Things are going well. → Las cosas van bien.
Gradual ongoing process → ir + gerund
Was going to (planned past) → imperfect ir + a + infinitive
Ir Is the Verb of Direction
Every time you describe where someone is going, what someone is about to do, whether someone has left, or how things are progressing, you are reaching for ir. It is one of the most productive and most frequently used verbs in the entire Spanish language, and the voy a future construction alone makes it essential for anyone who wants to talk about plans, intentions, and upcoming events in natural everyday Spanish. The irregular forms require specific attention, but once voy, vas, va, vamos, van and the imperfect iba series are automatic, the rest of the verb's uses fall into place naturally.
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