# ir conjugation

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Updated 2026-10-23 · HTML version: https://learnwithkin.com/spanish/conjugations/ir

> *Ir* means "to go" and is irregular in the present (*voy, vas, va*), the preterite (*fui, fuiste, fue*) and the imperfect (*iba, ibas, iba*). Its preterite is identical to that of *ser*, which is why the two are often confused: *fue* means both "he was" and "he went", and context decides which.

**Diagram.** ir has two irregularities: a present that belongs to neither family, and a preterite shared with ser, where fue means both "he was" and "he went".
> A diagram showing the Spanish verb ir: its present tense voy, vas, va is irregular and unlike either verb family, and its preterite fui, fuiste, fue is identical to that of the verb ser.
- Forms to learn on their own: present, preterite, voy, vas, va, vamos, van, fui, fuiste, fue, the same word in ser: "he was".
- Forms that follow a pattern: ir.
- One word, two meanings: *fue* is "he went" and "he was". The sentence tells you which.

**ir** — to go. *Voy*. The most irregular verb in Spanish, and one of the first you learn.

## Present indicative


| Pronoun | ir | Say |
| --- | --- | --- |
| yo | voy | voy |
| tú | vas | vahs |
| él / ella / usted | va | vah |
| nosotros | vamos | VAH-mohs |
| vosotros | vais | vah-ees |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | van | vahn |

*Vamos* is the one to learn properly: on its own it means "let's go" or just "come on", but as a verb phrase it means "we go" or "we're going" — *vamos a la playa* (we're going to the beach). It's also the origin of the very common *vamos a* + infinitive, which is the everyday way to say "let's" or "going to".

## Preterite


| Pronoun | ir | Say |
| --- | --- | --- |
| yo | fui | FOO-EE |
| tú | fuiste | WEES-teh |
| él / ella / usted | fue | weh |
| nosotros | fuimos | FOO-mohs |
| vosotros | fuisteis | WEES-tay-ees |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | fueron | weh-ROHN |

**Identical to the preterite of *ser*.** *Fue* is both "he was" and "he went", and *fueron* is both "they were" and "they went". Context decides: *Fué a Madrid* (he went to Madrid) versus *Fue un buen maestro* (he was a good teacher).

## Imperfect


| Pronoun | ir | Say |
| --- | --- | --- |
| yo | iba | EE-bah |
| tú | ibas | EE-bahs |
| él / ella / usted | iba | EE-bah |
| nosotros | íbamos | EE-bah-mohs |
| vosotros | ibais | EE-bah-ees |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | iban | EE-bahn |

## Future, conditional and subjunctive


| Pronoun | Future | Conditional | Pres. subj. | Imp. subj. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| yo | iré | iría | vaya | fuera |
| tú | irás | irías | vayas | fueras |
| él / ella / usted | irá | iría | vaya | fuera |
| nosotros | iremos | iríamos | vayamos | fuéramos |
| vosotros | iréis | iríais | vayáis | fuerais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | irán | irían | vayan | fueran |

## Imperative


| Pronoun | Affirmative | Negative |
| --- | --- | --- |
| tú | ve | no vayas |
| usted | vaya | no vaya |
| nosotros | vayamos | no vayamos |
| vosotros | id | no vayáis |
| ustedes | vayan | no vayan |

## ser or ir?

In the preterite they're the same word and the meaning depends on the sentence: *fue* = "he was" or "he went". In the present they're different: *es* (he is) versus *va* (he goes). And where a person went, *ir* is about the destination: *Voy a México* (I'm going to Mexico).

There's a related trap worth knowing: *vamos* used on its own means "let's go" or "come on", but *vamos a* + infinitive is the ordinary way to say "let's" — *vamos a comer* (let's eat).

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## Questions

### What is the difference between ser and ir?

In the present, *ser* is about what something is (*es alto* — he's tall) and *ir* is about movement or destination (*va a casa* — he's going home). In the preterite they're identical: *fue* means both "he was" and "he went", and the sentence tells you which.

### Why is the preterite of ir the same as ser?

They came from the same Latin verb, which meant both "to go" and "to be". Spanish kept one past form and split the meanings by context. It's a fossil: the shared form is why Spanish speakers immediately understand *fue* from either meaning.

### How do you say 'let's go' in Spanish?

*¡Vamos!* — one word, no pronoun. And *vamos a* + infinitive is how you say "let's" in general: *vamos a comer* (let's eat), *vamos a ver* (let's see).

## Related

- [ser conjugation](https://learnwithkin.com/spanish/conjugations/ser.md)
- [Spanish verb conjugations](https://learnwithkin.com/spanish/conjugations.md)
- [How long does it really take to learn Spanish?](https://learnwithkin.com/spanish/how-long-to-learn.md)

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