Breakdown of Ellos van a viajar juntos el próximo año.
ellos
they
juntos
together
a
to
ir
to go
viajar
to travel
el próximo
the next
el año
the year
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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?
Yes, you can say el año que viene (literally: the coming year) to convey the same idea of next year. El próximo año and el año que viene are interchangeable, with only a slight stylistic preference for one over the other in different regions or contexts. Both are perfectly acceptable in Latin America.
Can I drop el from el próximo año and just say próximo año?
In everyday conversation, many Spanish speakers do say próximo año without el, and it’s generally understood. However, grammatically speaking, it’s more standard to include the definite article: el próximo año. Both forms exist and are heard in normal speech, but the version with el is the most typical in written and more formal contexts.