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4.13: Gramática- El verbo ir

  • Page ID
    115139
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    Objetivos

    • Recognize the correct conjugations of the verb ir

    Like the verb ser, the conjugation of ir in the present tense is irregular:

    ir (to go)

    Singular Plural

    yo voy

    nosotros vamos
    vas vosotros vais
    él / ella / usted va ellos / ellas / ustedes van
    Sign reading "¡Vamos rojillos!"
    A sign in support of the Osasuna soccer team from Pamplona, Navarre. Because they originally wore red jerseys, they got the nickname “Los Rojillos.”

    The verb ir is used to express destinations and will need a preposition to follow it. Add the preposition a after ir to indicate your destination (where you’re going to).

    • No voy a la fiesta esta noche porque hay un examen mañana. (I’m not going to the party tonight, because there’s a test tomorrow.)
    • Ellos van al gimnasio todos los días. (They go to the gym every day.)
    The emblem of a Chevy Nova car
    The story goes (though it’s probably not true) that this Chevy model didn’t sell well in Mexico. Can you imagine why? (Hint: How do you say in Spanish “The car doesn’t go”?)

    Contracciones

    There are only two contractions in the whole Spanish language, and they’re frequently used with ir and other verbs of motion.

    A + el = al (to the)
    De + el = del (from the)

    Be careful, the prepositions a and de only contract with the masculine singular definite article; if you need the feminine or plural form of “the”, it will remain a separate word.

    • Vamos al parque con el perro. (We go to the park with the dog.)
    • Vamos a los negocios locales. (We go to the local businesses.)
    • Los científicos llegan del Instituto de Salud Pública. (The scientists come from the Institute of Public Health.)
    • Los maestros llegan de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. (The teachers come from the Complutense University of Madrid.)

    Contributors and Attributions

    CC licensed content, Shared previously
    Public domain content
    • El verbo ir en el tiempo presente. Authored by: Deborah M. Edson. Provided by: Tidewater Community College. License: CC BY: Attribution
    • contractions. Provided by: SUNY Oneonta with Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution

    4.13: Gramática- El verbo ir is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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