The Verb Ir (To Go)
The verb ir (to go) is one of the most frequently used verbs in Portuguese. It is highly irregular in the present tense, so you will need to memorize its forms:
| Pronoun | Form (Present Tense) |
|---|---|
| eu | vou |
| tu | vais |
| ele / ela / você | vai |
| nós | vamos |
| eles / elas / vocês | vão |
Destinations and Transportation
When you talk about going somewhere, you will typically use the preposition a (to). Just like with em, the preposition a combines with definite articles (o, a, os, as) to say "to the":
- a
- o = ao (to the, masculine)
- a
- a = à (to the, feminine)
When you want to specify how you are getting to your destination, use the preposition de (by) followed directly by the mode of transportation, such as de autocarro (by bus) or de metro (by subway).
| I am going to the cinema by bus. | Vou ao cinema de autocarro. |
| Are you going to the pharmacy now? | Vais à farmácia agora? |
| We are going to the beach by subway. | Vamos à praia de metro. |
| They are going to the bank today. | Eles vão ao banco hoje. |
Making Plans and Adding Details
You can easily combine ir with question phrases you already know, like a que horas (at what time), to coordinate schedules around the city.
| What time are we going to the park? | A que horas vamos ao parque? |
You can also use conjunctions like e (and) or mas (but) to link ideas. Note that when you list multiple destinations, you must repeat the correct contraction (ao or à) for each new place.
| The doctor is going to the bank and to the pharmacy. | A médica vai ao banco e à farmácia. |
| The park is very beautiful, but I am going to the cinema. | O parque é muito bonito, mas eu vou ao cinema. |
