Ir means “to go” in Spanish. It’s an irregular verb used to express movement, intention, or future actions.

Irregural Patterns

Irstem changes (yo voy, nosotros vamos)
Different roots in past tenses (fui, iba)

Most Uses

Going somewhere
Talking about future plans
Forming commands and subjunctive expressions

Conjugation Tables

Present Tense

Spanish SubjectSpanish ConjugationEnglish SubjectEnglish Conjugation
yovoyIgo / am going
vasyougo / are going
él/ellavahe/shegoes / is going
nosotrosvamoswego / are going
vosotrosvaisyou (plural)go / are going
ellosvantheygo / are going
Example:
  • Yo voy al mercado. / I go to the market.

Preterite Tense

Spanish SubjectSpanish ConjugationEnglish SubjectEnglish Conjugation
yofuiIwent
fuisteyouwent
él/ellafuehe/shewent
nosotrosfuimoswewent
vosotrosfuisteisyou (plural)went
ellosfuerontheywent
Example:
  • Ayer fui al cine. / Yesterday I went to the movies.

Imperfect Tense

Spanish SubjectSpanish ConjugationEnglish SubjectEnglish Conjugation
yoibaIused to go / was going
ibasyouused to go / were going
él/ellaibahe/sheused to go / was going
nosotrosíbamosweused to go / were going
vosotrosibaisyou (plural)used to go / were going
ellosibantheyused to go / were going
Example:
  • Cuando era niño, iba al parque. / When I was a child, I used to go to the park.

Present Subjunctive

Spanish SubjectSpanish ConjugationEnglish SubjectEnglish Conjugation
yovayaIgo
vayasyougo
él/ellavayahe/shego
nosotrosvayamoswego
vosotrosvayáisyou (plural)go
ellosvayantheygo
Example:
  • Espero que vayamos juntos. / I hope we go together.

Practice Tips

Use ir + a + infinitive to talk about the near future (e.g., Voy a estudiar = I’m going to study).
Pay special attention to irregular forms in past tenses (fui, fui, iba).
Practice using ir in different contexts to get comfortable with its flexibility.

How can you get more comfortable using ir in conversation?


Practice making sentences about where you’re going, your plans, and past activities.

Using ir in meaningful contexts—talking about real places and plans—helps you internalize its irregular patterns and everyday uses.

More Help

Try using ir in sentences to describe your plans or past activities.
Remember: context matters, especially with irregular verbs like ir.
Ir helps you talk about “going” — whether it’s a place, a plan, or something more abstract.

Why might ir seem challenging at first?


Because ir changes stems across tenses and appears in many different grammatical moods.

Ir is short but complex: its form shifts by tense and mood, so learners must memorize multiple stems and endings.

Flashcards (1 of 24)

    • English Subject: I
    • English Conjugation: go / am going

    Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

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