Questions & Answers about Ellos van a viajar juntos el próximo año.
Why do we say van a viajar instead of viajarán when talking about the future?
In Latin American Spanish (and Spanish in general), the ir + a + infinitive form (in this case van a viajar) is a very common way to talk about the immediate or planned future. It’s similar to saying they are going to travel in English. The simple future tense viajarán is grammatically correct too, but it can sound slightly more formal or less immediate in everyday conversation.
Is the pronoun ellos necessary here, or can it be omitted?
Because Spanish verb forms often indicate who is performing the action (in this case, van already shows that it’s ellos or ustedes), you could omit ellos and simply say Van a viajar juntos el próximo año. However, many speakers include ellos for clarity or emphasis, especially if the context makes it useful to specify which “they” you’re referring to.
What does juntos mean in this context, and does its position in the sentence matter?
Juntos means together. It’s used to emphasize that the action (traveling) will be done collectively. The placement of juntos is flexible—it can come after van a viajar or at the end of the sentence—but it typically appears right after the verb to maintain clarity: Ellos van a viajar juntos el próximo año.
Can I say el año que viene instead of el próximo año, and is there any difference?