Introduction
This article explains how to use the verb Ir in Brazilian Portuguese to talk about the next action: what you are going to do, plans, and near-future intentions. You will learn forms, common phrases, useful vocabulary, and simple examples suitable for complete beginners.
- Why Ir matters for expressing the next action
- Basic forms of Ir you should memorize
- Practical vocabulary for common next actions
- Using Ir with places and directions
- Questions and negative forms with Ir
- Practical situations and sample dialogues
- Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
- Useful tips to sound natural
- Mini glossary of helpful words
- Conclusion
Why Ir matters for expressing the next action
The verb Ir means to go, but Brazilian Portuguese uses it in a special way to form the near future, similar to English going to. For beginners this construction is essential because it is used in everyday conversation to say what you will do next.
Instead of using a single future tense, Brazilians often use Ir + infinitive to express plans and intentions, such as going to eat, going to study, or going to travel.
Basic forms of Ir you should memorize
Memorize these present tense conjugations of Ir because they are used to make the near future construction.
eu vou
você vai
ele/ela vai
nós vamos
vocês vão
eles/elas vão
How to form the near future: Ir + infinitive
To say you are going to do something, use a conjugated form of ir followed by an infinitive verb. The structure is simple and highly common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.
Subject + ir + verb in infinitive
Example: eu vou comer — I am going to eat
Example: você vai estudar — you are going to study
Practical vocabulary for common next actions
These verbs are useful when making next-action statements. Each item shows the infinitive in Brazilian Portuguese and a short English gloss.
comer — to eat
beber — to drink
estudar — to study
sair — to go out / leave
ir — to go (used with places)
voltar — to return
trabalhar — to work
dormir — to sleep
comprar — to buy
Everyday example sentences you will hear or use
Below are realistic short sentences beginners might see in messages, signs, or hear in conversation. Each line uses ir + infinitive to show the next action.
Eu vou almoçar agora. — I am going to have lunch now.
Você vai trabalhar hoje? — Are you going to work today?
A gente vai ao mercado. — We are going to the market. (A gente = informal we)
Ela vai voltar mais tarde. — She is going to come back later.
Vou estudar para a prova. — I am going to study for the test.
Using Ir with places and directions
When talking about physically going somewhere, use ir plus a preposition to indicate the destination. Common prepositions are a, ao, à, para, and em.
Examples:
Eu vou ao banco. — I am going to the bank.
Ele vai para a escola. — He is going to school.
Nós vamos à praia amanhã. — We are going to the beach tomorrow.
Você vai em casa agora? — Are you going home now? (colloquial: vou para casa or vou pra casa)
Note about contraction: ao and à
In Brazilian Portuguese, the preposition a plus the definite article o becomes ao, and a plus a becomes à. For beginners, focus on using para + place or pra in informal speech to avoid confusion.
Example: Eu vou pra festa. — I am going to the party. (informal contraction of para a)
Questions and negative forms with Ir
To make a question, invert intonation or use question words. To make a negative, put não before the verb ir.
Question: Você vai sair hoje? — Are you going out today?
Negative: Eu não vou sair hoje. — I am not going out today.
Question word examples: Onde você vai? — Where are you going? Quando vocês vão? — When are you going?
Short responses and common conversational phrases
Beginners should learn short replies to sound natural in conversation.
Vou. — I will / I’m going to.
Não vou. — I won’t / I’m not going to.
Vai dar certo. — It will work out. (idiomatic: literally it’s going to be okay)
Estou indo. — I’m going / I’m on my way. (useful in messages)
Practical situations and sample dialogues
Below are short beginner-friendly dialogues using ir for next actions in everyday contexts like a café, messages, and plans with friends.
At a café:
Cliente: Você vai atender? — Are you going to serve?
Barista: Vou já. — I’ll be right there.
Making plans:
Amigo 1: Vamos ao cinema? — Shall we go to the movies?
Amigo 2: Eu vou, e você? — I’ll go, and you?
Text message:
Pessoa A: Chego em 10 minutos. Você vai me buscar? — I arrive in 10 minutes. Will you pick me up?
Pessoa B: Vou sim. — I will, yes.
Using Ir with time expressions
Add time words to specify when the next action will happen. Common words: agora, depois, mais tarde, amanhã, hoje, já.
Examples:
Eu vou estudar agora. — I’m going to study now.
Ela vai viajar amanhã. — She is going to travel tomorrow.
Nós vamos sair mais tarde. — We will go out later.
Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
Many learners confuse the simple present with the near future or forget to use the infinitive after ir. Here are common errors and corrections.
Mistake: Eu vou estudando. — Incorrect if you mean I am going to study.
Correction: Eu vou estudar.
Mistake: Vai eu estudar. — Incorrect word order.
Correction: Eu vou estudar.
Mistake: Eu vou no banco. — Slightly informal but common; prefer Eu vou ao banco or Eu vou para o banco.
Tip: Always use the infinitive after ir, not a conjugated verb.
Quick practice exercises for beginners
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb ir and an appropriate infinitive from the vocabulary list.
1. Eu ___ comprar pão agora. (comer/ir/compra) — answer: vou comprar
2. Nós ___ estudar amanhã. — answer: vamos estudar
3. Ela ___ voltar depois do trabalho. — answer: vai voltar
4. Você ___ trabalhar hoje? — answer: vai trabalhar
Practice saying each sentence aloud to get comfortable with the rhythm.
Useful tips to sound natural
1. Use pra in informal speech instead of para + article. Example: Vou pra praia.
2. Brazilians often drop the subject pronoun where context is clear. Example: Vou agora. instead of Eu vou agora.
3. Use estou indo in real-time situations to say you are on your way. Example: Estou indo agora.
4. Learn common set phrases that use ir, such as vou ver — I’ll see / I’ll check, and vou tentar — I’ll try.
Mini glossary of helpful words
agora — now
amanhã — tomorrow
mais tarde — later
hoje — today
já — already / right now (colloquial emphasis)
pra — informal form of para (to/for)
Conclusion
Mastering Ir plus the infinitive lets beginners clearly express the next action, plans, and intentions in Brazilian Portuguese. Learn the present forms of ir, pair them with common infinitives, and practice short, realistic phrases for daily use. With simple drills and realistic dialogues you will quickly feel confident saying what you are going to do next.
