Ir a + infinitive in Spanish: the near future

Build the Spanish near future with a present form of ir + a + an infinitive: Voy a estudiar (I am going to study), Vamos a salir (we are going to leave), Van a llegar (they are going to arrive). Conjugate only ir; keep the action verb in its infinitive form.

Use this construction for plans, intentions and predictions connected to the present. It often matches English “be going to,” but Spanish needs no form of estar here. The full pattern is voy/vas/va/vamos/vais/van + a + infinitive.

Form the construction in three parts

First choose the subject, then conjugate ir in the present, add the fixed preposition a, and finish with the infinitive naming the action. The infinitive does not agree with the subject.

Yo voy a preparar la cena.
I am going to prepare dinner.

Mis amigos van a visitar Sevilla.
My friends are going to visit Seville.

In the second sentence, van agrees with plural mis amigos; visitar remains unchanged. Forms such as van a visitan wrongly conjugate both verbs. Spanish verb chains normally give tense and person to the first verb while leaving the second one non-finite.

The a is required. It is easy to lose because English places “to” inside the following infinitive, but Spanish writes it as a separate word between the two verbs: voy **a** comer.

Use it for plans and intentions

Ir a + infinitive is a natural choice when a person has a present plan or intention. A future time phrase can make the plan more precise.

Este fin de semana vamos a limpiar la casa.
This weekend we are going to clean the house.

Voy a aprender a conducir este año.
I am going to learn to drive this year.

The time does not need to be only a few minutes away. “Near future” describes the construction’s connection to a current plan, not a strict distance on the calendar. El año que viene voy a cambiar de trabajo can refer to next year if it presents a current intention.

Spanish also uses the simple present for firm schedules (El tren sale a las ocho) and the simple future for predictions, promises or more detached future statements. These options overlap in real conversation; ir a is especially useful when English would naturally say “going to.”

Use it for evidence-based predictions

The construction can predict what seems likely from present evidence, even when no one planned the event.

Mira esas nubes: va a llover.
Look at those clouds: it is going to rain.

Cuidado, el vaso se va a caer.
Careful, the glass is going to fall.

This use shows why “near future” is only a convenient label. The important idea is a future consequence seen from now. The speaker notices clouds or an unstable glass and connects the future event to the current situation.

Make negatives and questions

For a negative, put no before the conjugated form of ir. Do not place it between a and the infinitive.

No voy a comprarlo hoy.
I am not going to buy it today.

No van a llegar tarde.
They are not going to arrive late.

For a yes/no question, keep the same word order and use question intonation and marks. Question words go at the beginning.

¿Vas a venir mañana?
Are you going to come tomorrow?

¿Qué vais a hacer este verano?
What are you going to do this summer?

The person asked is reflected in vas, va, vais or van. The infinitive still stays unchanged.

Place object and reflexive pronouns correctly

An unstressed object or reflexive pronoun can go before the conjugated ir or attach to the infinitive. Both positions express the same core meaning.

Lo voy a comprar. / Voy a comprarlo.
I am going to buy it.

Me voy a levantar temprano. / Voy a levantarme temprano.
I am going to get up early.

Do not insert the pronoun between a and the infinitive: voy a lo comprar is incorrect. Choose one of the two complete placements and keep the pronoun linked either to the conjugated verb phrase or to the infinitive.

With two pronouns, the same choice applies: Te lo voy a explicar or Voy a explicártelo. The attached form may need a written accent to preserve the original stress.

Movement to a place versus future action

The verb ir also keeps its literal meaning “go.” Compare a destination noun with an action infinitive.

Vamos a Madrid.
We are going to Madrid.

Vamos a visitar Madrid.
We are going to visit Madrid.

Both contain vamos a, but only the second is the near-future construction, because visitar is an infinitive action. Madrid is a destination. You can even combine the ideas: Voy a ir a Madrid means “I am going to go to Madrid.” The first a belongs to the future pattern; the second introduces the destination.

Common mistakes

Omitting a

The preposition is a fixed part of the construction.

Voy estudiar esta noche. → Voy a estudiar esta noche.
I am going to study tonight.

Conjugating the second verb

Only ir shows person and tense; the action stays in the infinitive.

Van a llegan mañana. → Van a llegar mañana.
They are going to arrive tomorrow.

Using estar because English says “am going”

Spanish uses a conjugated form of ir, not estar + ir.

Estoy ir a llamar. → Voy a llamar.
I am going to call.

Compare this immediate plan pattern with the Spanish future tense and with literal movement in ir vs venir. Fluera then asks you to build intentions, predictions and questions from context when you practice Spanish, so the three-part structure becomes one unit.

Practice