This deep dive covers ir a + infinitivo — The Near Future within Present tense + periphrastic future (ir a + inf) + present continuous for GCSE Spanish. Revise Present tense + periphrastic future (ir a + inf) + present continuous in Time Frames for GCSE Spanish with 13 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
🔍 ir a + infinitivo — The Near Future
To talk about plans or intentions in the near future, Spanish uses ir (conjugated) + a + infinitive. This is called the futuro perifrástico (periphrastic future). It is the equivalent of English "going to" and is extremely common in both speaking and writing exams.
First, the present tense of ir (to go) — this is irregular and must be memorised:
| Persona | ir (to go) |
|---|---|
| yo | voy |
| tú | vas |
| él/ella/usted | va |
| nosotros/as | vamos |
| vosotros/as | vais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | van |
Now combine ir with a and any infinitive to express a near-future plan:
- Voy a estudiar esta tarde. — I am going to study this afternoon.
- Vas a comer con tu familia. — You are going to eat with your family.
- Mi amigo va a trabajar el fin de semana. — My friend is going to work at the weekend.
- Vamos a visitar Madrid el próximo verano. — We are going to visit Madrid next summer.
⭐ The Formula
- ir (conjugated) + a + infinitive (never changes)
- Example: voy + a + hablar → voy a hablar
- The infinitive stays the same regardless of the subject: voy a comer, vas a comer, va a comer…
- Exam tip: Using ir a + infinitivo in your speaking AND writing tasks demonstrates tense range — examiners award marks specifically for this. Aim for at least one example per task.