Near Future (ir a + inf) in Spanish

Overview

The near future, or futuro próximo, is one of the easiest and most useful constructions in Spanish. Formed with the verb ir (to go) + a + an infinitive, it works just like the English "going to" -- Voy a comer means "I'm going to eat." At the CEFR A2 level, this construction lets you talk about plans, intentions, and predictions without needing to learn a whole new set of verb endings.

The near future is extremely common in everyday spoken Spanish, often more common than the simple future tense (comeré). It feels natural, conversational, and immediate, making it the go-to choice for expressing what is about to happen or what you intend to do. Since you only need to conjugate ir (which you likely already know), the near future is accessible even to beginners.

How It Works

The formula

conjugated ir + a + infinitive

Subject	Ir	+ a + infinitive	Full example
yo	voy	a comer	Voy a comer.
tú	vas	a estudiar	Vas a estudiar.
él/ella/usted	va	a llover	Va a llover.
nosotros/as	vamos	a salir	Vamos a salir.
vosotros/as	vais	a ver	Vais a ver.
ellos/ellas/ustedes	van	a viajar	Van a viajar.

When to use the near future

Use	Example
Plans and intentions	Voy a estudiar esta noche. (I'm going to study tonight.)
Predictions	Va a llover. (It's going to rain.)
Imminent actions	¡Voy a salir! (I'm about to leave!)
Scheduled events	Vamos a cenar a las ocho. (We're going to have dinner at eight.)
Asking about plans	¿Qué vas a hacer? (What are you going to do?)

Negation

Place no before ir:

• No voy a ir. -- I'm not going to go.
• No va a funcionar. -- It's not going to work.

With pronouns

Object pronouns can go before ir or attached to the infinitive:

Before ir	Attached to infinitive
Lo voy a hacer.	Voy a hacerlo.
Te voy a llamar.	Voy a llamarte.

Both positions are equally correct and common.

Near future vs. simple future

Near future	Simple future
More conversational	More formal
Plans, intentions	Predictions, promises, formal plans
Voy a comer.	Comeré.

In everyday speech, the near future dominates. The simple future is covered in a separate concept.

Examples in Context

Spanish	English	Note
Voy a comer.	I'm going to eat.	personal plan
Va a llover.	It's going to rain.	prediction
Vamos a salir mañana.	We're going to go out tomorrow.	future plan
¿Qué vas a hacer?	What are you going to do?	asking about plans
Van a viajar a México.	They're going to travel to Mexico.	future plan
No voy a ir a la fiesta.	I'm not going to go to the party.	negation
¿Vas a estudiar esta noche?	Are you going to study tonight?	question
Voy a llamarte después.	I'm going to call you later.	pronoun attached
Te voy a decir algo.	I'm going to tell you something.	pronoun before ir
¡Cuidado! Va a caerse.	Careful! It's going to fall.	imminent event

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the a

• Wrong: Voy comer.
• Right: Voy a comer.
• Why: The preposition a is mandatory between ir and the infinitive. Without it, the sentence is grammatically incomplete.

Conjugating the second verb

• Wrong: Voy a como.
• Right: Voy a comer.
• Why: Only ir is conjugated. The second verb always stays in the infinitive form.

Confusing ir a (near future) with ir a (going to a place)

• Note: Voy a comer = I'm going to eat (near future). Voy al restaurante = I'm going to the restaurant (physical movement). Context makes the difference clear -- if a is followed by an infinitive, it is the near future; if followed by a place, it is physical movement.

Practice Tips

• Plan your day out loud. Every morning, describe your upcoming day: Primero voy a desayunar. Luego voy a ir al trabajo. Por la tarde voy a hacer ejercicio. This is practical and repetitive, which builds fluency.

• Make predictions. Look at the weather, a sports game, or a movie trailer and predict what will happen: Va a llover. Van a ganar. Va a ser buena.

• Practice both pronoun positions. Say the same sentence two ways: Lo voy a comprar / Voy a comprarlo. This builds flexibility and confidence.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Ir (to go) -- You need to know the conjugation of ir
• Next steps: Simple Future -- The formal future tense with its own conjugation endings