Near future (going to + infinitive)
A2Near future (ir a + infinitive)
What does the near future (ir a + infinitive) mean?
The structure ir (conjugated) + a + infinitive is the simplest way to say “be going to + verb” in Spanish. It expresses what someone intends, plans, or expects to do soon. In English you often translate it as "going to + infinitive" (I am going to study), but Spanish uses its own verb ir (to go) as an auxiliary.
Key idea: use the present tense of ir + a + an infinitive to talk about an action that will happen in the near future or an intention that is already decided.
When do I use ir a + infinitive?
- Voy a estudiar medicina. — I’m going to study medicine.
- Vamos a mudarnos el mes que viene. — We’re going to move next month.
- Ella va a aprender a conducir. — She’s going to learn to drive.
- Mira esas nubes: va a llover. — Look at those clouds: it’s going to rain.
- Con tantos errores, el proyecto va a fracasar. — With so many mistakes, the project is going to fail.
3) Near or scheduled future events (informal)
Meaning: events expected soon. Both the present tense and ir a + infinitive are common for near future.
Examples:
- Esta tarde voy a ver a mi profesor. — This afternoon I’m going to see my teacher.
- ¿A qué hora vas a salir mañana? — What time are you going to leave tomorrow?
- ¡Vas a limpiar tu habitación ahora! — You are going to clean your room now! (firm command)
- Si vuelves tarde, vas a arrepentirte. — If you come back late, you’re going to regret it.
How do I form ir a + infinitive?</b]
Formula: Subject + (conjugated ir in the present) + a + infinitive.
Present tense of ir: yo voy, tú vas, él/ella/usted va, nosotros/-as vamos, vosotros/-as vais, ellos/ellas/ustedes van.
Examples (all mean "…is/are going to …"):
- Yo voy a estudiar. — I’m going to study.
- Tú vas a comer. — You (informal) are going to eat.
- Él va a viajar. — He’s going to travel.
- Nosotros vamos a empezar. — We’re going to start.
- Vosotros vais a bailar. — You (Spain) are going to dance.
- Ellos van a ayudar. — They’re going to help.
Negative and question forms
Negative: Place no before the conjugated form of ir.
- No voy a ir. — I’m not going to go.
- Ella no va a venir. — She’s not going to come.
Questions: Use normal Spanish question order (often the same word order) and question marks.
- ¿Vas a venir mañana? — Are you going to come tomorrow?
- ¿Cuándo vamos a empezar? — When are we going to start?
You can also reverse the subject and verb for a more formal or marked question: ¿Va usted a participar? — Are you (formal) going to participate?
Object pronouns with ir a + infinitive
Placement options: With ir a + infinitive you can either put object pronouns before the conjugated ir or attach them to the infinitive. Both are correct; placing them before ir is often easier for beginners.
Examples (direct object, indirect object, double pronoun):
- Te voy a llamar. / Voy a llamarte. — I’m going to call you.
- Se lo voy a decir. / Voy a decírselo. — I’m going to tell it to him/her/them/you.
Important note about accents: When you attach pronouns to an infinitive, the resulting word sometimes needs an accent to preserve the original stress. Compare:
- Se lo voy a decir. — no accent needed when pronouns are before ir.
- Voy a decírselo. — accent on the í to keep the stress (decír → decírselo).
Ir a + infinitive in other tenses (past reference)
Imperfect + a + infinitive (iba a + infinitive): used to say someone "was going to" do something — an intention or plan in the past that sometimes did not happen.
- Iba a salir cuando sonó el teléfono. — I was going to go out when the phone rang.
- Ella iba a comprar la casa, pero cambió de opinión. — She was going to buy the house, but she changed her mind.
Preterite fui + a + infinitive (careful): Fui a + infinitive usually means "I went to [do something]" (movement + purpose), not "I was going to." Example:
- Fui a la tienda. — I went to the store.
- Fui a ver al médico. — I went to see the doctor. (Not "I was going to see the doctor.")
Comparisons: ir a + infinitive vs other future expressions
- Spanish often uses the present tense for scheduled near-future events: "Mañana salgo a las ocho." — I leave at eight tomorrow. You can also say: "Mañana voy a salir a las ocho." Both are natural; the present is more concise.
- Use futuro simple for more formal statements, distant future, or predictions without immediate evidence: "Estudiaré medicina algún día." — I will study medicine someday. However, for many predictions Spanish speakers commonly prefer ir a: "Va a llover." — It’s going to rain.
- "Estar para + infinitive" means "about to (do something)" — typically very immediate: "Estoy para salir" (I’m about to leave). Ir a + infinitive is less focused on the exact instant and more on the planned or expected future.
Common mistakes and tips to avoid them
- Omitting the a: "Voy estudiar" is incorrect. Correct: "Voy a estudiar."
- Confusing "voy a + infinitive" with movement "voy a + place":
- Voy a estudiar. — I’m going to study. (infinitive)
- Voy a la tienda. — I’m going to the store. (place)
- Using ir + gerund (wrong): "Voy a yendo" is wrong. Use "Voy a ir" or "Estoy yendo/Estoy yendo ahora" depending on meaning.
- Using preterite fui a + infinitive to mean "I was going to" is incorrect; use iba a + infinitive for past intention.
- Forgetting accent when pronouns attach to infinitives (e.g., write "Voy a decirselo" — incorrect; correct: "Voy a decírselo").
- Overusing ir a for distant, formal future situations where futuro simple is more natural.
Useful sets of examples (grouped by function)
- Voy a estudiar español este año. — I’m going to study Spanish this year.
- Ella va a comprar una bicicleta nueva. — She’s going to buy a new bicycle.
- Vamos a cenar a las ocho. — We’re going to have dinner at eight.
- No voy a salir hoy. — I’m not going to go out today.
- Ellos no van a venir a la fiesta. — They’re not going to come to the party.
- ¿Vas a estudiar mañana? — Are you going to study tomorrow?
- ¿Quién va a presentar el informe? — Who is going to present the report?
- Te voy a explicar la lección. — I’m going to explain the lesson to you.
- Voy a explicarte la lección. — I’m going to explain the lesson to you.
- Se lo voy a dar. / Voy a dárselo. — I’m going to give it to him/her/them.
Past planned actions (iba a + infinitive)
- Iba a llamarte, pero perdí tu número. — I was going to call you, but I lost your number.
- Íbamos a empezar la reunión a las nueve, pero hubo retrasos. — We were going to start the meeting at nine, but there were delays.
Quick reference / cheat sheet
Formula: Subject + ir (present) + a + infinitive.
Conjugation (present of ir): yo voy, tú vas, él/ella/usted va, nosotros/-as vamos, vosotros/-as vais, ellos/ellas/ustedes van.
Translate to English often as: "am/is/are going to + verb." Use for plans, intentions, near predictions.
Glossary
- Infinitive: the basic form of a verb (e.g., estudiar, comer, vivir).
- Conjugate / Conjugation: to change a verb form for person and tense (e.g., voy, vas, va).
- Imperfect (iba): past tense used for ongoing or background actions and past intentions ("was going to").
- Preterite (fui): past tense used for completed actions; "fui a + place" usually means "I went to (somewhere)."
Final tips
- If you mean a near, decided plan or a prediction based on information you have now, use ir a + infinitive.
- If you’re speaking about immediate readiness, consider estar para + infinitive.
- When in doubt about object pronoun placement, put the pronoun before the conjugated form of ir: "Te voy a llamar." This is always safe.
If you want, I can give a short set of extra examples for a particular subject (work, travel, school) or show the contrast between "voy a…" and the simple future in specific sentences.