Mi familia va a reunirse en casa esta noche.

Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Spanish now

Questions & Answers about Mi familia va a reunirse en casa esta noche.

What does va a reunirse literally mean, and how is this structure formed?

Va a reunirse is the near future in Spanish, built with ir + a + infinitive.

Breakdown:

  • va = he/she/it goes (here: is going)
  • a = to
  • reunirse = to meet / get together (reflexive verb)

So literally: Mi familia va a reunirse = My family is going to get together.

This is the most common way in everyday Spanish to talk about something that is going to happen soon.

Why is reunirse reflexive? Why not just reunir?

Spanish distinguishes:

  • reunir (non‑reflexive) = to gather something/someone together
    • Voy a reunir a mi familia. = I’m going to bring my family together / assemble them.
  • reunirse (reflexive) = to meet / to get together (by themselves)
    • Mi familia va a reunirse. = My family is going to get together.

In your sentence, no one outside is “gathering” the family; they themselves are meeting, so Spanish uses the reflexive form reunirse.

What does the se in reunirse refer to?

Se is the reflexive pronoun for he/she/it/they/you (formal).

In reunirse:

  • reunir = to gather
  • se = themselves

So reunirse literally suggests “to gather themselves”, but idiomatically it just means to meet / to get together.

In Mi familia va a reunirse, se refers to mi familia (a group), so: my family is going to get together (themselves).

Can I also say Mi familia se va a reunir en casa esta noche? Is there any difference?

Yes, that is completely correct, and the meaning is the same.

You have two valid options with ir + a + infinitive + reflexive:

  • Mi familia se va a reunir en casa esta noche.
  • Mi familia va a reunirse en casa esta noche.

Both mean: My family is going to get together at home tonight.

Rule of thumb:

  • With a conjugated verb + infinitive, reflexive pronouns can go:
    • before the conjugated verb: se va a reunir
    • or attached to the infinitive: va a reunirse

It’s mostly a matter of style and rhythm; both are standard.

Why is it va (singular) and not van with mi familia?

In Spanish, collective nouns like familia, gente, público, etc. are normally treated as singular grammatically:

  • Mi familia va a reunirse. (standard)
  • La gente está contenta.

Even though “family” refers to several people, the word familia itself is singular, so the verb agrees in the singular: va, not van.

In some informal speech you might hear Mi familia van…, but this is considered non‑standard or dialectal. For learners, stick with va.

Why doesn’t it say en mi casa (in my house)?

In Spanish, when talking about being at home, it’s very common to simply say en casa without any possessive:

  • Estoy en casa. = I’m at home.
  • Cenamos en casa. = We have dinner at home.

Spanish assumes it’s your own home unless context suggests otherwise. So:

  • Mi familia va a reunirse en casa is naturally understood as at (our) home.

You can say en mi casa to emphasize my house as opposed to someone else’s, but it’s not necessary here.

What is the difference between en casa, en la casa, and en mi casa?

They all involve the word casa, but the nuance changes:

  1. en casa

    • Very general, idiomatic: at home
    • Usually implies one’s own home.
    • Mi familia va a reunirse en casa. = My family is going to get together at home.
  2. en mi casa

    • Explicitly my house/home.
    • Useful when you want to contrast with other homes:
      • ¿En tu casa o en mi casa? = At your place or at mine?
  3. en la casa

    • Literally in the house, focusing on the building as a place, not necessarily “home”.
    • Could refer to:
      • a specific house you both know (e.g. the big house on the corner)
      • a house that is not home: en la casa de mis abuelos = at my grandparents’ house

So in your sentence, en casa is the most natural: it’s about getting together at home.

Why is it just esta noche and not en esta noche or la noche de hoy?

Esta noche is the normal, everyday way to say tonight.

  • esta = this
  • noche = night

Spanish usually does not use a preposition or article with simple time expressions like:

  • hoy = today
  • mañana = tomorrow
  • esta noche = tonight
  • esta tarde = this afternoon

So:

  • Mi familia va a reunirse en casa esta noche. = My family is going to get together at home tonight.

Forms like en esta noche or la noche de hoy sound more literary, formal, or emphatic, not natural for simple everyday planning.

Could I say Mi familia se reunirá en casa esta noche instead of va a reunirse? What’s the difference?

Yes, Mi familia se reunirá en casa esta noche is grammatically correct.

Difference in feel:

  • va a reunirse (near future: ir a + infinitive)

    • Very common in spoken Spanish
    • Feels immediate, planned, conversational
  • se reunirá (simple future)

    • Feels a bit more formal or neutral
    • Often used in writing, news, or when talking about schedules:
      • La junta se reunirá mañana a las 9. = The board will meet tomorrow at 9.

In everyday conversation about tonight, va a reunirse is more natural, especially in Latin America, but se reunirá is perfectly correct.

Is there a more casual way to say “get together,” like using juntarse?

Yes. Juntarse is a very common, slightly more informal verb meaning to get together / to hang out.

Examples:

  • Mi familia va a juntarse en casa esta noche.
  • Nos vamos a juntar en casa esta noche. = We’re going to get together at home tonight.

Nuance:

  • reunirse: feels a bit more neutral or formal, can be used for meetings, family gatherings, work meetings, etc.
  • juntarse: often feels more casual, like meeting up, hanging out.

Both are widely understood in Latin America.

Can I move esta noche to another place in the sentence?

Yes. Spanish word order is flexible with time expressions. All of these are possible:

  • Mi familia va a reunirse en casa esta noche.
  • Mi familia va a reunirse esta noche en casa.
  • Esta noche mi familia va a reunirse en casa.

They all mean the same thing. Differences are just about emphasis and rhythm:

  • Starting with Esta noche… puts extra emphasis on “tonight.”
Are there any differences in how this sentence would be said in different Latin American countries?

The sentence Mi familia va a reunirse en casa esta noche is correct and widely understood across Latin America.

Possible small variations you might hear:

  • Using se va a reunir instead of va a reunirse:
    • Mi familia se va a reunir en casa esta noche.
  • Using juntarse in more informal speech:
    • Mi familia se va a juntar en casa esta noche.
  • Adding toda for emphasis:
    • Toda mi familia va a reunirse en casa esta noche. = All my family is going to get together at home tonight.

But your original sentence sounds natural and neutral for Latin American Spanish.