Near Future (ir + a)
Indicative
1Formation
The Futura Perifrástica is formed with the verb ir (to go) + a + Infinitive.
Formation pattern: ir (conjugated) + a + Infinitive
Conjugation of ir in Presente:
| Person | ir |
|---|---|
| yo | voy |
| tú | vas |
| él/ella | va |
| nosotros | vamos |
| vosotros | vais |
| ellos/ellas | van |
Examples:
- voy a hablar → I am going to speak
- vas a comer → you are going to eat
- va a vivir → he/she is going to live
- vamos a estudiar → we are going to study
Important: The verb ir is conjugated, the infinitive always stays unchanged.
2Conjugation Table
| Person | hablar | comer | vivir |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | voy a hablar | voy a comer | voy a vivir |
| tú | vas a hablar | vas a comer | vas a vivir |
| él/ella | va a hablar | va a comer | va a vivir |
| nosotros | vamos a hablar | vamos a comer | vamos a vivir |
| vosotros | vais a hablar | vais a comer | vais a vivir |
| ellos/ellas | van a hablar | van a comer | van a vivir |
3Usage
The Futura Perifrástica is the most common future form in spoken Spanish. It is used for:
1. Planned actions in the near future Actions that will happen soon or with certainty.
- Esta noche voy a cenar con mis amigos. → Tonight I am going to have dinner with my friends.
- Mañana vamos a ir al cine. → Tomorrow we are going to go to the cinema.
2. Intentions and plans When expressing a firm intention or plan.
- Voy a estudiar medicina. → I am going to study medicine.
- Van a comprar una casa nueva. → They are going to buy a new house.
3. Immediately upcoming actions Things that are about to happen very soon.
- ¡Cuidado, vas a caer! → Watch out, you are going to fall!
- El tren va a llegar en dos minutos. → The train is going to arrive in two minutes.
Futura Perifrástica vs. Futuro Simple:
| Futura Perifrástica | Futuro Simple |
|---|---|
| Planned, concrete, near future | Hypothetical, distant, speculation |
| Voy a llamarte mañana. | Te llamaré cuando pueda. |
| Very common in conversation | More common in written language |
4Signal Words
5Example Sentences
Voy a aprender español este año.
I am going to learn Spanish this year.
¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana?
What are you going to do this weekend?
Ella va a trabajar en Madrid.
She is going to work in Madrid.
Vamos a salir a las ocho.
We are going to go out at eight.
¡Cuidado, vas a caer!
Watch out, you are going to fall!
Van a abrir un restaurante nuevo.
They are going to open a new restaurant.
6Irregular Verbs
Irregular forms of ir (Presente)
| Verb | yo | tú | él/ella | nosotros | vosotros | ellos/ellas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ir | voy | vas | va | vamos | vais | van |
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