A1 Spanish grammar

Ir in Spanish: Present Forms and Going to Places

Ir in Spanish means to go. Its present forms do not follow the normal -ir pattern, so learn voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, and van as a family. Use ir with a to name a destination.

Use ir in Spanish with irregular present forms

Match each subject to voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, or van. These forms must be learned as a set.

Voy a Madrid.
I am going to Madrid.Voy matches yo, and a introduces the destination.

Quick check

Choose the present form: yo + ir.

Connect ir to a destination with a

Put a before the place someone is going: Voy a Madrid and Vamos a la playa.

Vamos a la playa.
We are going to the beach.A stays separate before the feminine article la.

Contract a and el to al

Before a masculine singular place with el, a + el becomes al: Vamos al parque.

Ellos van al mercado.
They are going to the market.A and el combine to form al.

Common mistakes

Yo iro al parque.

Yo voy al parque.

Ir has the irregular yo form voy.

Vamos a el museo.

Vamos al museo.

A + el contracts to al.

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Practice ir in Spanish

Ir FAQ

What does ir mean in Spanish?

Ir means to go.

What are the present forms of ir?

Voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, and van.

Why is it voy and not io?

Ir is irregular, so its present forms do not use regular -ir endings.

When does a become al?

Use al when a comes directly before the masculine singular article el.

Continue learning

Prepositions of placeLearn Spanish prepositions of place including en, encima de, debajo de, delante de, detrás de, cerca de, and al lado de.VenirLearn how to use venir in Spanish, choose its irregular present forms, and say where someone comes from or comes with you.Complete ir conjugationStudy every supported tense and form of ir.Spanish travel vocabularyUse ir with practical destinations.