Iri is the basic regular verb for movement toward a destination: “go,” “move along,” or “be on one's way.” It is normally intransitive, so destinations, sources, routes, manner, and purpose appear as adverbs or prepositional phrases rather than direct objects. Esperanto then builds a precise family—ekiri, foriri, eniri, eliri, reiri—by adding transparent direction and aspect elements.
Complete regular paradigm
| Form | Function | Typical translation |
|---|---|---|
| iri | infinitive | to go |
| iras | present indicative | go(es), is going |
| iris | past indicative | went, was going |
| iros | future indicative | will go |
| irus | conditional | would go |
| iru | volitive | go!, let ... go |
Mi iras piede al la laborejo, sed mia kunloĝanto veturas per tramo.
I walk to work, but my roommate takes the tram.
Ĉu vi iros al la koncerto vendrede?
Will you go to the concert on Friday?
The verb never agrees with person or number: mi iras, ŝi iras, ili iras. Irus creates an imagined or conditional journey, while iru expresses a command, invitation, or wish.
Iru rekte ĝis la dua semaforo, poste turnu vin maldekstren.
Go straight to the second traffic light, then turn left.
Destinations with al
Use al for motion toward a person, institution, event, or location viewed as a goal.
Post la kurso ni iros al kafejo apud la universitato.
After the course we'll go to a café near the university.
Mi devas iri al la kuracisto morgaŭ matene.
I have to go to the doctor tomorrow morning.
Al points toward the goal but does not itself say that the mover enters an interior. Iri al la biblioteko focuses on the library as destination; iri en la bibliotekon specifically describes movement into it.
English “go home” provides a useful exception to word-for-word habits. Hejmen is already a directional adverb, so it needs neither al nor another -n.
Estas malfrue; ni iru hejmen.
It's late; let's go home.
The same pattern appears with tien, kien, ien, nenien, supren, malsupren, antaŭen, and reen.
Position versus movement into a place
With spatial prepositions such as en, sur, and sub, directional accusative -n distinguishes movement toward a new position from movement located within an existing position.
La infanoj iras en la parko.
The children are walking in the park.
La infanoj iras en la parkon.
The children are going into the park.
The first sentence answers “Where are they walking?” They are already inside the park. The second answers “Where are they going?” Their destination is inside the park. Directional -n marks actual motion into the new spatial relation.
La kato iris sub la tablon kiam ĝi aŭdis la polvosuĉilon.
The cat went under the table when it heard the vacuum cleaner.
Directional -n only marks motion toward a place. It cannot mark a source. Use de or el for movement away from somewhere.
Source, route, and manner
The source commonly follows de or el. De gives a general point of origin; el emphasizes movement out of an interior or bounded place.
Ni iris de la stacidomo al la hotelo tra la malnova urbocentro.
We went from the station to the hotel through the old town.
Ŝi iris el la ĉambro sen diri ion.
She went out of the room without saying anything.
Routes appear with expressions such as tra la parko, laŭ la rivero, preter la muzeo, and trans la ponton. Manner appears adverbially: iri rapide, iri sola, iri piede.
For movement in a vehicle, iri can state the journey in a broad way, but veturi is often more precise. Mi iras al Berlino morgaŭ says that Berlin is my destination; Mi veturas al Berlino per trajno foregrounds vehicular travel.
Going in order to do something
An infinitive after iri can express the action for which the subject goes. Both verbs share the same understood subject.
Mi iras aĉeti panon; ĉu vi bezonas ion el la vendejo?
I'm going to buy bread; do you need anything from the shop?
This does not create an English-style future auxiliary. Iras aĉeti literally describes going in order to buy. If no physical movement is intended, use future aĉetos or a verb of intention.
Por aĉeti is also possible and can make the purpose relation more explicit: Mi iris al la vendejo por aĉeti panon. After the motion verb alone, the shorter infinitive is well established and natural.
Ekiri and foriri
The briefest useful contrast is between starting and leaving:
Ni ekiris je la sesa por eviti la matenan trafikon.
We set off at six to avoid the morning traffic.
Ni foriris je la sesa, antaŭ ol la aliaj gastoj vekiĝis.
We left at six, before the other guests woke up.
Ekiri highlights the onset of motion: setting off, starting to walk, or beginning the journey. Foriri highlights departure and increasing distance from a place. The same real event can satisfy both descriptions, but the chosen compound directs attention differently.
— Kiam vi ekiros? — Post dek minutoj; mi ne volas foriri sen adiaŭi la gastigantojn.
— When will you set off? — In ten minutes; I don't want to leave without saying goodbye to the hosts.
These are not irregular verbs. Ek- and for- add stable meanings to the regular root, and the usual endings remain: ekiris, foriros, foriru.
Other productive motion compounds
- eniri — go in, enter
- eliri — go out, exit
- aliri — approach or access
- preteriri — go past
- transiri — cross, go across
- reiri — go again or go back
- ĉirkaŭiri — go around
Ni eniris la muzeon je la deka kaj eliris du horojn poste.
We entered the museum at ten and left two hours later.
With eniri, a direct goal object such as la muzeon is conventional, though eniri en la muzeon is also possible. With source-oriented eliri, the clearest construction is eliri el la muzeo; do not use directional -n to mark a source.
Reiri usually preserves the “go” viewpoint: movement away from the current reference point back to another place. Reveni instead presents the return as movement toward the relevant viewpoint. The distinction is explored on Veni: To Come.
Participles and compound forms
The common active participles are iranta “going,” irinta “having gone,” and ironta “about to go.” Because ordinary iri has no direct object, it does not normally form passive participles.
La iranta grupo haltis por atendi du malfruiĝintojn.
The group on its way stopped to wait for two latecomers.
Irante hejmen, mi renkontis malnovan amikon.
While going home, I met an old friend.
Compound forms with esti are possible—estis irinta, estos ironta—but simple iris or iros plus context is normally clearer. The active participle is most useful as an adjective, noun, or adverbial form when relative timing or an ongoing state matters.
Figurative uses and register
Iri also describes how a process proceeds: Kiel iras la projekto?, La kunveno iris glate, La vendoj iras bone. These are neutral and well established, not merely English calques.
La projekto iras pli malrapide ol planite, sed ĝi ne estas en danĝero.
The project is progressing more slowly than planned, but it isn't in danger.
Literal and figurative iri are frequent in every register. Specific compounds often sound clearer than a bare verb plus several direction words, but avoid inventing an opaque compound when an ordinary prepositional phrase is easier to understand internationally.
Common Mistakes
Treating the destination as a direct object
❌ Mi iras la stacidomon nun.
Incorrect — ordinary iri is intransitive and needs a goal marker.
✅ Mi iras al la stacidomo nun.
I'm going to the station now.
Adding al before hejmen
❌ Post la filmo ni iros al hejmen.
Incorrect — hejmen is already directional.
✅ Post la filmo ni iros hejmen.
After the film we'll go home.
Confusing location and destination
❌ La infanoj iras en la parko nun, kaj ili ankoraŭ estas ekster ĝi.
Incorrect — en la parko locates the walking inside the park.
✅ La infanoj iras en la parkon nun; ili ankoraŭ estas ekster ĝi.
The children are going into the park now; they are still outside it.
Using directional -n for a source
❌ Ŝi iris la ĉambron kaj fermis la pordon post si.
Incorrect — movement out of a source needs el.
✅ Ŝi iris el la ĉambro kaj fermis la pordon post si.
She went out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Adding person agreement
❌ Mi iras piede, sed ili iran per biciklo.
Incorrect — finite verbs do not agree with a plural subject.
✅ Mi iras piede, sed ili iras per biciklo.
I go on foot, but they go by bicycle.
Key Takeaways
- Iri is regular and normally intransitive; goals and routes need explicit markers.
- Al marks a goal, while directional -n after a spatial preposition marks entry into a new position.
- Ekiri highlights setting off; foriri highlights departure; other compounds specify path transparently.
- Active participles are normal, but passive forms of intransitive iri are not.
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Start learning Esperanto →Related Topics
- Veni: To ComeA2 — Use veni for motion toward a relevant viewpoint, build source and goal frames with de, el, and al, and master reveni and related compounds.
- Direction toward a PlaceA1 — Use directional -n to distinguish movement into or onto a place from movement or position within it.
- AlA2 — Use al for movement toward a goal, recipients, orientation, and abstract targets without adding an unnecessary accusative ending.
- EnB1 — Use en for location within a place, period, or state, and add directional -n when something enters a new interior or result.
- Travel and Direction ExpressionsB2 — Ask for routes, give usable directions, and handle tickets and transport with Esperanto's destination, location, and means frames.
- ek-: Inchoative Or Sudden OnsetA2 — Use ek- to focus on the first moment of an action or package a brief sudden event.