Section 13.1 · The most natural way to talk about future plans · [ir conjugated] + a + [infinitive] · voy a trabajar · vas a comer · va a llegar · vamos a estudiar · any verb works as the infinitive · no new endings to learn
In this chapter you learn how to look ahead. Discussing upcoming events, appointments, and personal goals is essential in any professional or social setting — whether you are scheduling a follow-up meeting, coordinating with colleagues, or planning a weekend trip. The structures in this chapter let you share your intentions clearly and confidently.
Section 13.1 introduces the informal future, which is by far the most widely used way to express future plans in everyday Spanish throughout the Americas. The beauty of this structure: you already know everything you need. It combines the verb ir (which you mastered in Section 12.2) with the word a and any infinitive. No new verb endings. No new conjugations. Just a formula: [ir] + a + [infinitive]. The infinitive never changes — it always stays in its original form regardless of who the subject is.
Yo trabajo en la oficina.
I work in the office. (I do this.)
Tú comes en casa.
You eat at home. (You do this.)
Usted come en el hospital.
You eat at the hospital. (You do this.)
Nosotros estudiamos español.
We study Spanish. (We do this.)
Yo voy a trabajar mañana.
I am going to work tomorrow.
Tú vas a comer en casa.
You are going to eat at home.
Usted va a comer en el hospital.
You are going to eat at the hospital.
Nosotros vamos a estudiar español.
We are going to study Spanish.
| Spanish Phrase | English Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Voy a descansar | I am going to rest | |
| Vas a llamar | You are going to call (informal) | |
| Vamos a comer | We are going to eat | |
| Va a llover | It is going to rain | |
| Van a llegar | They are going to arrive | |
| ¿Qué va a hacer? | What are you going to do? | |
| Voy a terminar | I am going to finish | |
| Va a empezar | It / He / She is going to start | |
| Vamos a presentar | We are going to present |
The informal future is built on one rule: conjugate ir to match the subject, add a, then place any verb in its infinitive form. The infinitive never changes. Yo voy a trabajar — Tú vas a trabajar — Usted va a trabajar — Ustedes van a trabajar. The word trabajar is identical every time. Once you know all five forms of ir (including vas for tú), you can express future plans with any verb you have learned. No new endings, no stem changes in the infinitive.
The yo form voy a ___ is the workhorse of personal planning in Spanish. Use it to state what you intend to do: Voy a enviar el correo ahora (I am going to send the email now), Voy a llamar al doctor (I am going to call the doctor), Voy a terminar la tarea pronto (I am going to finish the assignment soon). This construction sounds confident and decided — it communicates that something is genuinely planned, not just a vague possibility. In professional settings, voy a ___ is how you commit to a deliverable: Voy a enviar el reporte antes de las cinco (I am going to send the report before five). Note that every infinitive in these examples ends in -ar, -er, or -ir and stays completely unchanged.
The va a / vamos a / van a forms are essential for coordinating in professional settings. El gerente va a asistir a la reunión (The manager is going to attend the meeting) — reporting someone else's plan. Nosotros vamos a presentar el plan (We are going to present the plan) — announcing a team commitment. Ustedes van a organizar los documentos (You all are going to organize the documents) — delegating. El técnico va a reparar la computadora (The technician is going to repair the computer) — informing about a scheduled service. In each case, the infinitive — asistir, presentar, organizar, reparar — stays unchanged regardless of subject. These sentences cover the core of workplace communication about future actions.
The informal future is equally powerful for forming questions. For formal questions directed at usted, use ¿Qué va a hacer usted?. For informal questions directed at tú, use ¿Qué vas a hacer tú? (What are you going to do?). Both follow the same formula: question word + [ir form] + a + infinitive. Common question words: ¿A qué hora vas a salir? (What time are you going to leave? — informal), ¿Cuándo vas a estudiar? (When are you going to study?), ¿Dónde va a vivir su familia? (Where is your family going to live?). These questions sound polished and professional in any workplace or social setting.
One of the most liberating features of the informal future: any verb works as the infinitive, including all the stem-changing verbs from Chapters 11 and 12. When a stem-changing verb appears as the infinitive in this structure, it does not change — it stays in its plain infinitive form. Usted va a querer un café (not “va a quiere”), Nosotros vamos a almorzar juntos (not “vamos a almorzamos”), Yo voy a pedir la cuenta (not “voy a pido”). The stem change only applies when the verb is conjugated — in the infinitive position, it is completely neutral. This means you now have access to the full vocabulary you have built across all chapters for talking about the future.
Listen to each sentence in Spanish, then repeat aloud during the countdown pause.
Sentences 1–6 drill all five ir forms including vas a ___ (tú) alongside voy a, va a, vamos a, and van a. Sentences 7–11 practice voy a ___ for personal intentions. Sentences 12–16 use va a / vamos a / van a for team coordination and third-person announcements. Sentences 17–22 drill future questions with both informal vas a and formal va a. Sentences 23–30 use stem-changing verbs as infinitives and mix all five ir forms including tú.
Step 1 — Identify the ir form: Before repeating, spot the conjugated ir: voy / vas / va / vamos / van. Confirm the subject matches. Remember: vas signals tú (informal you).
Step 2 — Say the infinitive flat: The infinitive is always in its base form. As you repeat, make sure you are not adding any extra ending to it. Say it cleanly: vas a traba-jar, not vas a trabajas.
Step 3 — Three-part rhythm: Say the sentence in three beats: [ir form] — [a] — [infinitive]. Vas — a — estudiar. This rhythm locks in the structure as a single chunked pattern.
The weekly planner drill: Every morning, say five things you are going to do: Voy a ___ with five different infinitives. Then try the same five with vas a ___ (as if telling a friend their plans). This builds both the yo and tú forms simultaneously.
The five-subject rotation: Take any infinitive (for example, terminar) and say it with all five ir forms: Voy a terminar — vas a terminar — va a terminar — vamos a terminar — van a terminar. This five-beat drill locks in every conjugation and the unchanging infinitive in one exercise.
Stem-changer confirmation: Take five stem-changing verbs (querer, poder, pedir, almorzar, volver) and confirm the infinitive with both vas a and voy a: vas a querer (not quieres) · voy a poder (not puedo) · vas a pedir (not pides). Saying the wrong form aloud and correcting it is one of the fastest ways to eliminate this error.
Choose the correct answer. 20 questions drawn randomly from a pool of 30.