Ir means to go, and it is the single most irregular verb in Spanish. Every tense pulls its root from a different Latin verb — the present from vadere (to advance), the preterite from esse (to be), the imperfect from ire (to go) — and the result is a paradigm where almost nothing resembles the infinitive. Despite this chaos, ir is one of the first verbs learners encounter, because you simply cannot get through a day of Spanish without it.
It also carries an enormous functional load beyond literal motion. Ir a + infinitive is the workhorse future of spoken Spain ("voy a llamarte luego" — I'll call you later), vamos doubles as a hortatory "let's go", and the verb anchors dozens of expressions like irse de copas (to go out for drinks), ir tirando (to get by), ir al grano (to get to the point). Mastering ir is non-negotiable for A1 learners.
Non-finite forms
| Form | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitivo | ir | to go |
| Infinitivo compuesto | haber ido | to have gone |
| Gerundio | yendo | going |
| Gerundio compuesto | habiendo ido | having gone |
| Participio | ido | gone |
The gerundio yendo starts with y- because Spanish orthography won't tolerate a word-initial i- followed by another vowel — the y takes over consonant duty. The participio ido is perfectly regular for an -ir verb.
Llevo media hora yendo y viniendo del salón a la cocina sin encontrar el móvil.
I've spent half an hour going back and forth from the living room to the kitchen without finding my phone.
Indicative — simple tenses
Presente
| yo | tú | él/ella/usted | nosotros | vosotros | ellos/ellas/ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| voy | vas | va | vamos | vais | van |
The entire present is suppletive — it comes from Latin vadere, a completely different verb. The yo form voy belongs to the -oy club (soy, voy, estoy, doy). The vosotros form vais is monosyllabic and unaccented (the a-i is treated as a diphthong, like dais and vais). In peninsular Spain you will hear vais constantly — "¿A dónde vais esta noche?" is the everyday question.
¿A dónde vais este finde? Nosotros nos vamos a la sierra.
Where are you all going this weekend? We're heading to the mountains.
Voy un momento al estanco a por tabaco, ahora vuelvo.
I'm popping to the tobacconist's for cigarettes, I'll be right back.
Pretérito perfecto simple
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fui | fuiste | fue | fuimos | fuisteis | fueron |
The preterite is identical to ser. Context disambiguates: Fui a Madrid (I went to Madrid — ir) vs. Fui presidente del club (I was president of the club — ser). The monosyllables fui and fue carry no written accent (post-1999 RAE reform; older texts may show fuí, fué).
El verano pasado fui a Galicia y me llovió todos los días.
Last summer I went to Galicia and it rained on me every single day.
Mis padres fueron al concierto de Sabina la semana pasada.
My parents went to the Sabina concert last week.
Pretérito imperfecto
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iba | ibas | iba | íbamos | ibais | iban |
The imperfect comes from Latin ire — this is the only tense where you can still see the infinitive's i-. It uses -ar imperfect endings (-aba, -abas...) even though ir is an -ir verb. Note the written accent on íbamos (it marks the antepenultimate stress).
De pequeño, todos los domingos iba a comer a casa de mis abuelos.
When I was little, every Sunday I'd go and eat at my grandparents' house.
Futuro simple
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iré | irás | irá | iremos | iréis | irán |
Built on the full infinitive ir-, perfectly regular. In everyday peninsular speech, however, this form is rare for short-term plans — speakers reach for voy a ir instead. Iré survives in writing, in solemn promises ("iré, lo prometo"), and in conditional contexts ("si me invitas, iré").
Si todo va bien, iremos a verte el mes que viene.
If all goes well, we'll come and see you next month.
Condicional
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iría | irías | iría | iríamos | iríais | irían |
Yo en tu lugar no iría sola por esa zona de noche.
If I were you, I wouldn't go through that area alone at night.
Indicative — compound tenses
All compound tenses use the regular participle ido with haber.
Pretérito perfecto compuesto
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| he ido | has ido | ha ido | hemos ido | habéis ido | han ido |
In peninsular Spain, this is the default tense for actions in a still-relevant time frame — today, this week, this year, ever. "Esta mañana he ido al médico" (this morning I went to the doctor) is the natural Spain phrasing, where Latin America would say fui.
Esta mañana he ido al médico y me ha dicho que estoy perfectamente.
This morning I went to the doctor and he told me I'm completely fine.
Pretérito pluscuamperfecto
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| había ido | habías ido | había ido | habíamos ido | habíais ido | habían ido |
Cuando llegué a la fiesta, casi todos ya se habían ido.
By the time I got to the party, almost everyone had already left.
Futuro compuesto
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| habré ido | habrás ido | habrá ido | habremos ido | habréis ido | habrán ido |
Para cuando lleguéis, ya habré ido a por el pan.
By the time you arrive, I'll have already gone to get the bread.
Condicional compuesto
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| habría ido | habrías ido | habría ido | habríamos ido | habríais ido | habrían ido |
Si me hubieras avisado, habría ido contigo encantado.
If you'd let me know, I'd have happily gone with you.
Subjunctive — simple tenses
Presente de subjuntivo
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vaya | vayas | vaya | vayamos | vayáis | vayan |
The subjunctive is built from the vay- root (same family as voy). The vosotros form vayáis carries the accent on the -á- to mark the stress. Note that the alternative vamos (looking like indicative) does duty as the nosotros subjunctive in affirmative hortatives: "vamos a la playa" — let's go to the beach. Only no vayamos is used in negative hortatives.
No quiero que vayas sola, te acompaño.
I don't want you to go alone, I'll come with you.
Es posible que vayamos al cine luego, ¿te apuntas?
We might go to the cinema later, want to join?
Imperfecto de subjuntivo (-ra / -se)
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -ra | fuera | fueras | fuera | fuéramos | fuerais | fueran |
| -se | fuese | fueses | fuese | fuésemos | fueseis | fuesen |
Like the preterite, the imperfect subjunctive is identical to ser. Context — and the preposition that usually follows (ir a) — disambiguates. Both -ra and -se sets are interchangeable; -ra dominates in Spain.
Si fueras al supermercado, ¿me traerías un kilo de naranjas?
If you went to the supermarket, would you bring me a kilo of oranges?
Subjunctive — compound tenses
Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| haya ido | hayas ido | haya ido | hayamos ido | hayáis ido | hayan ido |
Me extraña que no haya ido a la reunión, normalmente es muy puntual.
It surprises me that he hasn't gone to the meeting, he's usually very punctual.
Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo
| yo | tú | él | nosotros | vosotros | ellos | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -ra | hubiera ido | hubieras ido | hubiera ido | hubiéramos ido | hubierais ido | hubieran ido |
| -se | hubiese ido | hubieses ido | hubiese ido | hubiésemos ido | hubieseis ido | hubiesen ido |
Si hubiéramos ido en tren, habríamos llegado mucho antes.
If we'd taken the train, we'd have arrived much sooner.
Imperative
The affirmative tú form is a bare ve — two letters, no accent. Affirmative vosotros is id (the original infinitive minus -r), almost never heard in speech because Spaniards swap to the reflexive irse and say idos / iros (see the irse page for the famous controversy). Negative imperatives use the present subjunctive.
| Form | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| tú | ve | no vayas |
| usted | vaya | no vaya |
| nosotros | vamos | no vayamos |
| vosotros | id | no vayáis |
| ustedes | vayan | no vayan |
Ve al baño antes de salir, que luego no hay donde parar.
Go to the toilet before we leave, there's nowhere to stop later.
No vayáis por la M-30 a estas horas, está colapsada.
Don't take the M-30 at this hour, it's gridlocked.
The nosotros affirmative vamos (not vayamos) is the standard "let's go". Spanish has no dedicated let's-form besides this — and the negative no vayamos — so vamos does both literal motion and hortatory work. Vámonos (with the reflexive nos attached, plus an accent on vá- because two pronouns push the stress back) is "let's get going".
Vamos a la playa este finde, hace un tiempo de maravilla.
Let's go to the beach this weekend, the weather is gorgeous.
Vámonos ya, que llegamos tarde al cine.
Let's get going, we're going to be late for the cinema.
High-frequency expressions and constructions with ir
Ir is the verb of choice for dozens of constructions and idioms. The ones below are essential for peninsular Spanish.
| Phrase / Construction | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ir a + infinitive | going to (do something) — workhorse future |
| ir + gerundio | to be gradually (doing something); to keep at it |
| ir de + noun | to be dressed as / to be about (Spain: ir de Caperucita; la peli va de un detective) |
| ir tirando (Spain, informal) | to be getting by |
| ir al grano | to get to the point |
| ir pisando huevos (Spain, informal) | to walk on eggshells (literally "to go stepping on eggs") |
| ¿Cómo te va? | How's it going? |
| ¡Qué va! (Spain, informal) | No way! / Not at all! |
| ir a por (Spain) / ir por (LatAm) | to go and get / to go for (Spain keeps the a) |
Voy a llamarte cuando salga del curro, ¿vale?
I'll call you when I get off work, OK?
La cosa va mejorando poco a poco, no te agobies.
Things are gradually getting better, don't stress.
—¿Vas a la fiesta de Marta? —¡Qué va, estoy reventado!
—Are you going to Marta's party? —No way, I'm wrecked!
Voy a por el pan, ¿necesitas algo más?
I'm going to get the bread, do you need anything else?
The classic English-speaker error: ir vs venir
English uses come generously — "I'm coming!" when someone calls you for dinner, "I'm coming right over" on the phone. Spanish does not. Ir is motion away from where the speaker currently is; venir is motion toward where the speaker currently is. The reference point is the speaker's actual location at the moment of speaking, not the listener's.
So if your mother calls you for dinner from the kitchen and you are in your bedroom, you answer ¡Voy! ("I'm coming!") — because from where you are, you are going to the kitchen, away from your current location. Saying ¡Vengo! would imply you are already in the kitchen and "coming" back to it from somewhere else, which is incoherent.
Likewise on the phone: "I'll come to your place" is iré a tu casa, not vendré a tu casa — because at the moment of speaking, you are not at your interlocutor's place; you will move to it. English speakers transfer the come framing and produce vengo / vendré in exactly these contexts. Resist it.
—¡Hijo, la cena está lista! —¡Voy, mamá!
—Son, dinner's ready! —Coming, mum! (you're in your room, moving to the kitchen — Spanish uses ir)
Common Mistakes
❌ Yo vo al trabajo en metro.
The yo form is voy (suppletive), not *vo.
✅ Yo voy al trabajo en metro.
I go to work by metro.
❌ El año pasado iba a Roma con mi familia.
Imperfect describes habitual or ongoing past actions; a one-off trip needs the preterite fui.
✅ El año pasado fui a Roma con mi familia.
Last year I went to Rome with my family.
❌ ¡Mamá, vengo enseguida! (shouted from your bedroom)
From your bedroom you're moving toward the kitchen — that's ir, not venir, from your current location.
✅ ¡Mamá, voy enseguida!
Mum, I'm coming right away!
❌ No quiero que vas sola por ahí de noche.
After no quiero que you need the subjunctive: vayas, not the indicative vas.
✅ No quiero que vayas sola por ahí de noche.
I don't want you going around alone at night.
❌ Vamos a la playa, no quiero quedar en casa.
Quedar means to meet up / arrange to see someone; staying at home is quedarse.
✅ Vamos a la playa, no quiero quedarme en casa.
Let's go to the beach, I don't want to stay at home.
Key Takeaways
- The present is suppletive: voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van — no resemblance to ir.
- The preterite is identical to ser: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron — context disambiguates.
- The imperfect iba is the only piece built from the infinitive's i-.
- The subjunctive uses the vay- root: vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan.
- Affirmative tú imperative is a bare ve; affirmative vosotros is id (usually replaced in speech by idos / iros from irse).
- Ir a + infinitive is the everyday future in peninsular speech — use it instead of the morphological iré for short-term plans.
- Vamos is both indicative ("we're going") and the affirmative let's-form ("let's go").
- Ir is motion away from the speaker's current location. Do not transfer English come — use ir (vengo → voy) when you yourself are the one moving.
Now practice Spanish
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Start learning Spanish→Related Topics
- Presente de indicativo: irA1 — How to conjugate ir in the present indicative, plus the workhorse Spanish future construction ir a + infinitive.
- Futuro perifrástico: ir a + infinitivoA1 — The workhorse future of spoken peninsular Spanish — how to use 'ir a + infinitivo' for plans, intentions, and near-future events.
- Imperativo de nosotros: vamos, comamosB1 — The 'let's' command in Spanish — the 1st-plural present subjunctive for both affirmative and negative, with vamos as the irregular affirmative for ir and vamos a + infinitive as the everyday colloquial alternative.
- Verbos irregulares: lista completaB2 — A lookup reference for every major irregular verb in Spanish — grouped by type of irregularity (yo-go, stem-changing, j-stem preterite, fully irregular) — covering the top 30 most-frequent verbs plus a tail of less-common but still useful ones.
- irseA2 — Full conjugation reference for irse (to leave, to go away) — the reflexive form of ir, with the same suppletive irregularities plus a famously contested vosotros imperative (idos vs. iros). Covers the leaving-vs.-going distinction, the reflexive pronoun placement rules, and the dozens of idioms like irse de copas, irse a pique, irse de la lengua that anchor everyday peninsular conversation.
- serA1 — Full conjugation reference for ser (to be — identity, origin, time, definition) — one of the most irregular and most frequent verbs in Spanish. Soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son. Preterite fui (identical to ir). Imperfect era. Subjunctive sea. Short imperative sé. Covers every tense, every paradigm, and the basic ser-vs-estar split that English-speaking learners must internalize from day one.