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VerbsbeginnerCEFR A1

Immediate Future (ir + a + infinitive)

📋Overview🏗️Structure💡Examples⚠️Common Mistakes🧠Quiz📚Useful Resources

What You'll Learn

  • Express immediate plans - Say what you're going to do today/tomorrow
  • Ask about others' plans - "¿Qué vas a hacer?" (What are you going to do?)
  • Make simple predictions - "Va a llover" (It's going to rain)
  • Talk about weekend plans - Essential for social interaction
  • Express intentions - "Voy a estudiar español" (I'm going to study Spanish)

Overview / Usage

The immediate future is the easiest way to talk about future plans in Spanish! Instead of learning new conjugations, you just use ir + a + infinitive. It's like saying "I'm going to..." in English.

🎯 The Magic Formula

IR (conjugated) + A + INFINITIVE
Voy a comer = I'm going to eat

This structure lets you talk about what's about to happen or what you plan to do without learning the complex future tense. Perfect for beginners!

Structure & Formation

📝 Part 1: The Formula - It's That Simple!

Present Tense of IR (to go)

yo voyI go / I'm going
tú vasyou go / you're going
él / ella / usted vahe/she/you(formal) goes
nosotros vamoswe go / we're going
ellos / ellas / ustedes vanthey/you(plural) go

⚠️ Remember the AL contraction!

When "a" meets "el", they become AL:
✅ Voy al parque (I'm going to the park)
✅ Voy a la escuela (I'm going to school) - no contraction with "la"

Building the Immediate Future

Step by Step
1. Conjugate IR: voy
2. Add A: voy a
3. Add INFINITIVE: voy a comer
= I'm going to eat
More Examples
Vas a estudiar
You're going to study
Vamos a trabajar
We're going to work

⏰ Part 2: When? Time Expressions

Immediate Time Frames (A1 Essential)

Today & Now
Ahora voy a comer
Now I'm going to eat
Hoy voy a descansar
Today I'm going to rest
Later Today
Esta tarde voy a estudiar
This afternoon I'm going to study
Esta noche voy a cocinar
Tonight I'm going to cook
Tomorrow & Weekend
Mañana voy a trabajar
Tomorrow I'm going to work
El sábado vamos a salir
Saturday we're going out
💡 Pro Tip: Use "después" (after/later) when you're not sure of the exact time:
Después voy a llamar a mi madre = Later I'm going to call my mother

🎬 Part 3: Daily Activities Vocabulary

A1 Essential Verbs for Daily Plans

🍽️ Food & Drink
  • comer - to eat
    Voy a comer pizza
  • beber - to drink
    Voy a beber agua
  • cocinar - to cook
    Voy a cocinar pasta
  • comprar - to buy
    Voy a comprar pan
💼 Work & Study
  • trabajar - to work
    Voy a trabajar mañana
  • estudiar - to study
    Voy a estudiar español
  • leer - to read
    Voy a leer un libro
  • escribir - to write
    Voy a escribir un email
😴 Rest & Leisure
  • descansar - to rest
    Voy a descansar un poco
  • dormir - to sleep
    Voy a dormir temprano
  • ver - to watch/see
    Voy a ver la televisión
  • escuchar - to listen
    Voy a escuchar música
👥 Social
  • llamar - to call
    Voy a llamar a mi madre
  • visitar - to visit
    Voy a visitar a mis amigos
  • hablar - to talk/speak
    Voy a hablar con el profesor
  • salir - to go out
    Voy a salir con amigos

❓ Part 4: Asking About Plans

Essential Questions for Daily Conversation

¿Qué vas a hacer?
What are you going to do?
¿Cuándo vas a venir?
When are you going to come?
¿Dónde vas a comer?
Where are you going to eat?
¿A qué hora vas a llegar?
What time are you going to arrive?
¿Con quién vas a ir?
Who are you going with?
💡 Remember: Question words go at the beginning:
¿Qué + vas a + infinitive?
¿Cuándo + vas a + infinitive?
¿Dónde + vas a + infinitive?

Examples

💬 Real Conversations

Making Weekend Plans

A: ¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana?
What are you going to do this weekend?
B: El sábado voy a visitar a mis padres.
Saturday I'm going to visit my parents.
A: ¿Y el domingo?
And Sunday?
B: Voy a descansar. Voy a ver películas en casa.
I'm going to rest. I'm going to watch movies at home.

Daily Routine Tomorrow

Primero voy a desayunar
First I'm going to have breakfast
Después voy a ducharme
Then I'm going to shower
Luego voy a trabajar
Then I'm going to work
Por la noche voy a cenar con amigos
In the evening I'm going to have dinner with friends

🌦️ Making Predictions

Va a llover
It's going to rain
Va a hacer frío
It's going to be cold
Todo va a estar bien
Everything is going to be fine

Gotchas / Common Mistakes

⚠️ Common Immediate Future Mistakes

❌ Forgetting the 'a'

❌ Wrong: Voy comer / Vas estudiar

✅ Right: Voy A comer / Vas A estudiar

Always include 'a' between ir and the infinitive!

❌ Using conjugated verb instead of infinitive

❌ Wrong: Voy a como / Vas a estudias

✅ Right: Voy a COMER / Vas a ESTUDIAR

After 'a', use the infinitive form (-ar, -er, -ir)

❌ Wrong word order in questions

❌ Wrong: ¿Vas qué a hacer? / ¿Vas a hacer qué?

✅ Right: ¿QUÉ vas a hacer?

Question word always goes first

❌ Mixing with present progressive

❌ Wrong: Voy a comiendo / Estoy yendo a comer

✅ Right: Voy a comer (future) OR Estoy comiendo (now)

Don't mix the two structures - choose one!

❌ Forgetting the AL contraction

❌ Wrong: Voy a el cine / Voy a el parque

✅ Right: Voy AL cine / Voy AL parque

a + el = al (always!)

Quick Test / Mini Quiz

📝 Test Your Immediate Future Skills

Can you talk about your plans using ir + a + infinitive?

1

Complete: 'Mañana ___ a estudiar español'

2

Fix the mistake: 'Ella va comer pizza'

3

Translate: 'We're going to rest'

4

What's the question word? '___ vas a hacer?'

5

Choose the correct form: 'I'm going to the park'

6

Complete: 'Esta noche ___ a dormir temprano'

7

Which verb should be in infinitive form?

8

Translate: 'What time are you going to arrive?'

Useful Resources

Coming soon...