Ir: to go

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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

How is ir used in forming commands and subjunctive expressions?

Ir cannot be used in subjunctive mood.

Ir appears in irregular command forms (e.g., ¡Ve!) and subjunctive forms (vaya, vayamos).

Ir commands always add the suffix '-irir'.

Ir only appears in regular -ar command forms.

Ir appears in irregular command forms (e.g., ¡Ve!) and subjunctive forms (vaya, vayamos).

Ir has unique forms in commands (ve, no vayas) and appears in all present subjunctive forms like 'vaya' and 'vayamos'.

Conjugation Tables

Present Tense

Spanish Subject	Spanish Conjugation	English Subject	English Conjugation
yo	voy	I	go / am going
tú	vas	you	go / are going
él/ella	va	he/she	goes / is going
nosotros	vamos	we	go / are going
vosotros	vais	you (plural)	go / are going
ellos	van	they	go / are going

Example:

Yo voy al mercado. / I go to the market.

Preterite Tense

Spanish Subject	Spanish Conjugation	English Subject	English Conjugation
yo	fui	I	went
tú	fuiste	you	went
él/ella	fue	he/she	went
nosotros	fuimos	we	went
vosotros	fuisteis	you (plural)	went
ellos	fueron	they	went

Example:

Ayer fui al cine. / Yesterday I went to the movies.

Imperfect Tense

Spanish Subject	Spanish Conjugation	English Subject	English Conjugation
yo	iba	I	used to go / was going
tú	ibas	you	used to go / were going
él/ella	iba	he/she	used to go / was going
nosotros	íbamos	we	used to go / were going
vosotros	ibais	you (plural)	used to go / were going
ellos	iban	they	used 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 Subject	Spanish Conjugation	English Subject	English Conjugation
yo	vaya	I	go
tú	vayas	you	go
él/ella	vaya	he/she	go
nosotros	vayamos	we	go
vosotros	vayáis	you (plural)	go
ellos	vayan	they	go

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.

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.

What is the best way to solidify your understanding of ir?

Only study ir conjugations in isolation, without example sentences.

Use it in sentences that describe going somewhere, making plans, or talking about the past.

Focus on memorizing vocabulary unrelated to movement or time.

Avoid using ir until you’ve learned all other verbs.

Use it in sentences that describe going somewhere, making plans, or talking about the past.

Applying ir in real-life contexts—whether speaking about a trip, a schedule, or a memory—makes its irregularities easier to remember.

Flashcards (1 of 24)

English Subject: I
English Conjugation: go / am going

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025