# 13. The Verb "Ir"

> Source: [A Complete Guide To Every Fundamental In Spanish](https://youtube.com/watch?v=YHDZSHCt1DE&t=2823s)

`Ir` means "to go." It's a monosyllabic, irregular verb whose present-tense forms have nothing to do with its infinitive. It also collapses English "I go" and "I am going" into a single Spanish form, and uses the preposition **a** to express destinations or near-future actions.

## Key Rules
- `ir` is **irregular and monosyllabic** — its present-tense stem is `v-`, not `ir-`.
- Spanish has no separate present progressive for `ir`; one form covers both "I go" and "I am going."
- For destinations or near-future actions, use **`ir + a + (place / infinitive)`**:
  - destination: `Yo voy a la tienda` (I'm going to the store).
  - near-future: `Yo voy a hacer mi tarea` (I'm going to do my homework).
- Without a destination, drop the `a`: `Yo voy allí` (I go there), `Yo voy con mis amigos` (I'm going with my friends).
- `ir + a + infinitive` is Spanish's everyday "going to" future.

## Conjugation: ir (present indicative)

| Pronoun | Form |
|---------|------|
| yo | voy |
| tú | vas |
| él / ella / usted | va |
| nosotros | vamos |
| vosotros | vais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | van |

## Examples
| Spanish | English |
|---------|---------|
| Yo voy. | I go / I am going. |
| Yo voy allí. | I go there. |
| Yo voy con mis amigos. | I'm going with my friends. |
| Yo voy a la tienda. | I'm going to the store. |
| Yo voy a la clase. | I'm going to the class. |
| Yo voy a hacer mi tarea. | I'm going to do my homework. |
| Yo voy a leer este libro. | I'm going to read this book. |
| Tú vas a trabajar. | You're going to work. |
| Él va a mi casa. | He goes to my house. |
| Nosotros vamos allí con todos. | We go there with everybody. |
| Ellos van a la universidad. | They're going to the university. |

## Notes & Gotchas
- Spanish does **not** form present progressive for `ir` (no `estoy yendo` in everyday speech) — use the simple present.
- The preposition **a** is required for destinations and for "going to + verb" (near future). Without `a`, the meaning is generic ("I go there / with friends") rather than specifying a target.
- `a + el` always contracts to **`al`**: `Voy al cine`, never `voy a el cine`.
- `ir + a + infinitive` is the most common way to express future intentions in conversation.
