The Near Future in Spanish

The Near Future in Spanish is formed by the present tense of the verb IR + a (to) + a second verb in the infinitive.
Voy = I go, I am going
Voy a = I am going to …
E.g: Voy a nadar = I am going to swim

Examples of the Near Future:
Voy a comer – I am going to eat
¿Dónde vas a comer? – Where are you going to eat?
Voy a comer en casa – I am going to eat at home

‘Voy a’ + infinitive verb is a clear, determined way to say what you want to do one day.
E.g.
Voy a cocinar pasteles – I am going to make cakes
Voy a salvar el bosque – I am going to save the forest

Add NO at the beginning to say what you do not want to do.
E.g.
No voy a comer higos – I am not going to eat figs
No voy a vivir con mi hermana – I am not going to live with my sister

The Story + Video Resource below provides practice using the 1st person of the Near Future in Spanish to talk about plans for a holiday on a desert island:

List of Verbs in the Story:
Visitar – to visit
dormir – to sleep
encontrar – to find
bucear – to dive, snorkell
leer – to read
descansar – to rest
pescar – to fish
observar – to observe
encontrar – to find
dar – to give
evitar – to avoid
escuchar – to listen
viajar – to travel
mirar – to look at

(The story begins in the past tense before moving into the Near Future)

Video Transcript:

Voy de vacaciones.
Voy a ir de vacaciones.
¿A dónde vas a ir?
¿Qué vas a hacer ..?

Hace unos años, mis hermanas fueron a una isla desierta.
Viajaron en avión, un avión pequeño.
Llegaron en un barco.
He visto las fotos.

¡Voy a visitar esta isla!
¡Voy a dormir allí!
Voy a encontrar un coco.
Voy a bucear.
Voy a leer.
Voy a descansar.
Voy a ir a pescar.
Voy a observar los pelícanos.
Voy a encontrar un cangrejo ermitaño.
Voy a dar de comer a los cangrejos ermitaños.
Voy a evitar los mosquitos.
Voy a mirar la puesta del sol.
Voy a escuchar el silencio.

Voy a viajar …

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The Present Tense of IR
Voy   – I go / I am going
vas   – you go / you are going
va    – he/she goes, he/she is going
vamos   – we go / we are going
vais   – you go / you are going (pl)
van    – they go / they are going
– – –