Introduction
Start learning one of the most common verbs in Brazilian Portuguese: ir. This guide explains how ir works for complete beginners, with clear rules, everyday phrases, useful vocabulary, and realistic examples you can use right away.
- What is the verb ir and why it matters
- Common past and future forms beginners need
- Ir + prepositions: common combinations
- Ir in questions and short answers
- Ir in useful everyday phrases and commands
- Ir in compound structures and idiomatic uses
- Common beginner mistakes and tips to avoid them
- Short practice exercises for beginners
- Extra vocabulary that often appears with ir
- Conclusion
What is the verb ir and why it matters
The verb ir means to go. It is essential because it appears in travel phrases, directions, plans, and many compound verbs and expressions. In Brazilian Portuguese ir is highly irregular, so beginners should focus on memorizing key forms and common phrases rather than trying to apply regular conjugation patterns.
Basic present tense forms (Presente do Indicativo)
Use the present tense to say where someone goes or to talk about scheduled plans like public transport or appointments.
eu vou — I go / I am going
você / ele / ela vai — you (formal or singular) / he / she goes
nós vamos — we go
vocês / eles / elas vão — you plural / they go
Practical present tense examples
Eu vou ao supermercado hoje. — I am going to the supermarket today.
Você vai trabalhar de carro? — Do you go to work by car?
Nós vamos ao parque à tarde. — We are going to the park this afternoon.
Elas vão à escola de ônibus. — They go to school by bus.
Common past and future forms beginners need
While ir has many tenses, for beginners the most useful are simple past (pretérito perfeito) and simple future (futuro simples).
Pretérito perfeito (simple past) — actions completed in the past
fui — I went
foi — you/he/she went
fomos — we went
foram — you/they went
Examples in context
Eu fui ao mercado ontem. — I went to the market yesterday.
Ela foi na reunião esta manhã. — She went to the meeting this morning.
Nós fomos ao cinema no sábado. — We went to the cinema on Saturday.
Futuro simples (simple future) — plans or predictions
irei — I will go
irá — you/he/she will go
iremos — we will go
irão — you/they will go
Everyday future examples
Eu irei ao médico amanhã. — I will go to the doctor tomorrow.
Você irá viajar nas férias? — Will you travel on vacation?
Nós iremos juntos. — We will go together.
Ir + prepositions: common combinations
Many useful expressions combine ir with prepositions or articles to indicate movement or destination. These are essential for directions, transportation, and daily life.
ir a / ir ao — to go to (a or ao used depending on article contraction)
Vou ao banco. — I am going to the bank.
ir para — to go to (often indicates direction or destination)
Ela vai para a faculdade. — She goes to college.
ir de — to go by (transportation)
Nós vamos de metrô. — We go by subway.
ir com — to go with someone or with something
Você vai com a Maria? — Are you going with Maria?
Note on contractions
In Brazilian Portuguese ao is the contraction of a + o. Use ao before masculine singular nouns: Vou ao restaurante. With feminine nouns use à or a: Vou à praia or Vou à festa. For beginners it is fine to learn common pairings like ao banco, à escola, ao cinema.
Ir in questions and short answers
Beginners often need simple question patterns to ask about plans or directions. Here are common question forms with ir and natural short answers.
Onde você vai? — Where are you going?
Vou para casa. — I’m going home.
Que horas você vai chegar? — What time will you arrive?
Vou chegar às oito. — I’ll arrive at eight.
Como você vai para o trabalho? — How do you get to work?
Vou de ônibus. — I go by bus.
Vai comigo? — Are you coming with me?
Vou sim. — Yes, I’ll go. (informal positive)
Não vou. — I won’t go.
Ir in useful everyday phrases and commands
Ir appears in many set phrases you will hear in stores, transport, restaurants, and messages. Learn these to understand and be understood in common situations.
Vamos! — Let’s go!
Vai embora! — Go away! / Leave! (useful to recognize; can be strong)
Vou buscar. — I’ll pick up / I’ll get it.
Vou pagar agora. — I’ll pay now.
Ele vai chegar em cinco minutos. — He will arrive in five minutes.
Examples on signs and schedules
Partidas — Destinations list on a bus or train schedule; you might see: Partidas para São Paulo às 14:00. — Departures to São Paulo at 2:00 PM.
Chegadas — Arrivals list; Você verá: Chegadas às 18:30. — Arrivals at 6:30 PM.
Saída — Exit, departure. Na estação: Saída 3. — Exit 3.
Ir in compound structures and idiomatic uses
Ir is combined with gerunds and infinitives to form progressive or immediate-future structures. These are common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.
estar + indo (progressive) — estou indo — I am going (right now)
Estou indo para o hospital. — I am going to the hospital.
ir + infinitive (near future) — vou estudar amanhã — I’m going to study tomorrow
Vou comprar pão mais tarde. — I’m going to buy bread later.
ir embora — to leave, to go away
Preciso ir embora às nove. — I need to leave at nine.
Common beginner mistakes and tips to avoid them
1. Mixing ir with regular -ir verb endings: Ir is irregular. Do not apply regular -ir conjugations like abrir or partir. Memorize the core irregular forms: vou, vai, fomos, fui, foram.
2. Confusing ir para and ir a: Both can mean to go to a place. Use ir ao/a for specific places with definite articles and ir para for general destinations or directional emphasis. Example: Vou ao banco (specific bank). Vou para Porto Seguro (heading toward that city).
3. Using present instead of progressive when describing current movement: Estou indo is natural for actions happening now; eu vou can mean a habitual action. If you are on your way, say Estou indo.
4. Forgetting contractions: Learn ao and à because they appear frequently in signs and spoken phrases.
Short practice exercises for beginners
Fill in the blank with the correct present tense form of ir.
1. Eu _____ ao dentista hoje. (vou)
2. Eles _____ ao parque às 10h. (vão)
3. Nós _____ de carro. (vamos)
Translate to Portuguese using Brazilian Portuguese and ir.
4. She went to the store yesterday. — Ela _____ à loja ontem. (foi)
5. We are going to study now. — Nós _____ estudar agora. (vamos)
Extra vocabulary that often appears with ir
casa — home
trabalho — work
escola — school
estação — station
ônibus — bus
metrô — subway
aeroporto — airport
restaurante — restaurant
supermercado — supermarket
Sample mini-dialogues beginners can use
— Onde você vai?
— Vou ao supermercado.
— Você vai ao cinema hoje?
— Sim, vou às sete.
— Como você vai para a faculdade?
— Vou de bicicleta.
Conclusion
Ir is one of the most useful verbs in Brazilian Portuguese. Learn the irregular core forms, common prepositional combos, and everyday phrases. Practice with short dialogues, signs, and schedules to build confidence. Start using vou, vai, estamos indo, fui, and iremos in real situations and you will notice quick progress.
