# The everyday future: ir a + infinitive

> id: conjugation.future.periphrastic-ir-a · category: conjugation · depth: standard · levels: A1, A2 · review: internally_reviewed

**Summary.** Voy a comer, vas a ver, vamos a salir: conjugated ir + a + infinitive is the default way to talk about the future in spoken Spanish.

Conjugate ir in the present (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van), add a, then the infinitive: voy a trabajar, van a llegar tarde. It mirrors English 'going to'.

In conversation across the Spanish-speaking world this construction is far more frequent than the simple future for plans and intentions, especially near-term ones.

The a is mandatory and easy to miss in fast speech (vamos a ir sounds like 'vamos air'). In the past, iba a + infinitive expresses 'was going to': iba a llamarte.

## Examples
- Voy a comprar pan. — I'm going to buy bread.
- ¿Vas a venir a la fiesta? — Are you going to come to the party?
- Íbamos a salir, pero empezó a llover. — We were going to go out, but it started raining.

Related: conjugation.future.regular, conjugation.present.irregular-ir

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