Voy a empacar mi maleta antes de viajar.

This is the very common Spanish future construction:

• ir + a + infinitive
• voy a empacar = I’m going to pack

Here:

• voy = I go / I am going
• a = part of the structure
• empacar = to pack

So literally it looks like I go to pack, but in normal Spanish it means I’m going to pack.

Other examples:

• Voy a estudiar. = I’m going to study.
• Vamos a salir. = We’re going to leave.

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed.

• voy already tells you the subject is I
• so yo is optional

Both are correct:

• Voy a empacar mi maleta.
• Yo voy a empacar mi maleta.

Using yo can add emphasis or contrast, such as:

• Yo voy a empacar mi maleta, pero tú limpias el cuarto.

In most everyday situations, just voy sounds natural.

Yes. Empacar is a normal and common verb in much of Latin America, and it means to pack.

In the sentence:

• empacar mi maleta = pack my suitcase

Depending on the country, you may also hear:

• hacer la maleta = literally to make the suitcase, meaning to pack
• preparar la maleta = to prepare the suitcase

So a learner might also hear:

• Voy a hacer la maleta antes de viajar.
• Voy a preparar mi maleta antes de viajar.

All are understandable, but empacar is very straightforward and common.

Spanish can use either, depending on context.

• mi maleta clearly says my suitcase
• la maleta can also work if it is already obvious whose suitcase it is

So these can both sound natural:

• Voy a empacar mi maleta antes de viajar.
• Voy a empacar la maleta antes de viajar.

Using mi makes it more explicit and often feels natural if you are introducing the suitcase for the first time.

They are related, but not the same.

• maleta = suitcase
• equipaje = luggage / baggage

So:

• Voy a empacar mi maleta = I’m going to pack my suitcase
• Voy a preparar mi equipaje = I’m going to get my luggage ready

A maleta is usually one specific bag.
Equipaje is more general and can refer to all your bags together.

Because after antes you normally use de before an infinitive.

• antes de + infinitive
• antes de viajar = before traveling / before I travel

This is the standard pattern:

• antes de salir
• antes de comer
• antes de dormir

So antes que viajar is not the normal structure here.

Because after antes de, Spanish often uses the infinitive when the subject is general or the same as the main subject.

• antes de viajar = before traveling / before I travel

The infinitive viajar is used because it expresses the action in a general way.

Compare:

• Voy a empacar mi maleta antes de viajar.
  = I’m going to pack my suitcase before traveling.

But if you want a new clause with a specific subject, Spanish often uses:

• antes de que + subjunctive

For example:

• Voy a empacar mi maleta antes de que salga el taxi.
• Voy a empacar mi maleta antes de que viajemos.

So antes de viajar is shorter and very natural here.

Yes.

You could say:

• Empacaré mi maleta antes de viajar.

That is the simple future and means:

• I will pack my suitcase before traveling.

However, in everyday conversation, especially in Latin America, ir a + infinitive is often more common and more conversational:

• Voy a empacar mi maleta... sounds very natural in speech.
• Empacaré mi maleta... is also correct, but can sound a bit more formal, planned, or written depending on context.

They are related, but not always used in exactly the same way.

• empacar = to pack
• empaquetar = to package / wrap up / pack into a package

For travel, empacar la maleta sounds very natural.
Empaquetar is often more associated with putting something into a package or wrapping it.

So for a suitcase, empacar is usually the better choice.

A simple Latin American-style pronunciation guide is:

• Voy ≈ boy
• a = short ah
• empacar ≈ em-pah-KAR
• mi = mee
• maleta ≈ mah-LEH-tah
• antes ≈ AHN-tes
• de ≈ deh
• viajar ≈ bee-ah-HAR or vyah-HAR, depending on accent

A rough full pronunciation:

• boy ah em-pah-KAR mee mah-LEH-tah AHN-tes deh byah-HAR

A few notes:

• v and b often sound very similar in Spanish
• the j in viajar sounds like a strong English h
• stress falls on:
  • em-pa-CAR
  • ma-LE-ta
  • via-JAR

Sometimes, yes, but they are not identical.

For this sentence, the most natural alternatives are:

• Voy a empacar mi maleta antes de viajar.
• Voy a hacer la maleta antes de viajar.
• Voy a preparar mi maleta antes de viajar.

These all work well.

But empaquetar is less natural if you specifically mean pack a suitcase for a trip. It is more like package or wrap up.

So if you are talking about travel, empacar or hacer la maleta are usually better choices.

Usually, yes. Voy a + infinitive often suggests an upcoming action or a plan.

So Voy a empacar mi maleta antes de viajar usually means:

• I plan to do this soon
• this is what I’m about to do, or what I intend to do before the trip

It does not have to mean right this second, but it normally feels more immediate or planned than a very general future statement.