Making Future Plans in Spanish: IR + A + Infinitive

¡Bienvenido a una nueva lección! In this lesson, we will learn to use the structure “IR + A + Infinitive” for making future plans in Spanish. This lesson will includes several examples and explanations that will help you talk about your future plans in Spanish too. We will introduce some new vocabulary through several conversations about someone’s plans for the weekend, summer vacations and other scenarios. Moreover, you will have the chance to practice listening. Let’s start…

Introductory video: Making plans in Spanish with IR + A + Infinitive

First of all, we will ask you to watch a short video introducing different questions for “what are your plans?” in Spanish. The video also presents the forms or conjugations of IR for each pronoun. It will show you several examples using the verb IR to talk about places, talk about activities and talk about your future plans in Spanish as well. The video has subtitles in English so you can read what the narrator is saying.

Describing your plans in Spanish and Asking about Others

What are your plans in Spanish

In order to ask about plans in Spanish, we normally use any of these three questions or variations of them:

  1. ¿Cuál es tu plan para el lunes? (What’s your plan for Monday?)
  2. ¿Qué planes tienes para hoy? (What are your plans for today?)
  3. ¿Qué vas a hacer mañana? (What are you going to do tomorrow?)

As you may notice, we need a tilde on each question word in Spanish as in “Cuál” or “Qué”. Besides, possessive adjectives helps us to indicate whose plans we would like to know about. if you feel like asking differently, you also can do it using the verb TENER (to have) like in the second example above. A time expression should be added after the word PLANES to let the other person know the plans for the date we are interested on.

You may use Spanish time expressions like “para este fin de semana, para hoy, para las vacaciones, para esta noche”. For example, to ask “what are your plans for today” in Spanish we would say “¿Cuáles son tus planes para hoy?” and “what are your plans for tomorrow” would be “¿Cuáles son tus planes para mañana?”. Other ways to ask “what are your plans” in Spanish including “¿Qué piensas hacer esta noche?” and “¿Qué vas a hacer esta noche?” (using the verb IR + A + Infinitive ).

Describing and making future plans in Spanish with IR + A + Infinitive
Haciendo planes en español

Describing your future plans in Spanish with IR + A + Infinitive

In order to say what you are going to do in Spanish, you will need to know the specific form of the verb in the future tense or else use the Spanish verb IR + A + Infinitive. We hope you already know how to conjugate IR, but if you can review its conjugations in our lesson about irregular verbs or check its different forms in the video above. When IR is used for the future tense in Spanish, it is necessary to place the preposition A (to) after any of his conjugations, that is between IR and the verb in infinitive. Here is the basic grammatical structure for making future plans in Spanish using IR plus infinitive:

Subject + IR + A + Infinitive + Spanish time expression

Some examples following this pattern are: “Yo voy a ver una película” and “Nosotros vamos a jugar futbol”, where both words VOY and VAMOS are forms of IR in Spanish. The subject is optional most of the time and the activity actually depends on what you are going to do, which could be anything from household chores (los quehaceres) to hobbies (pasatiempos).

Examples of Future Plans in Spanish using IR + A + Infinitive

Here are some examples of future plans in Spanish including more ways to ask and say your what you are going to do, apart from some new vocabulary. Please pay attention to the use of the verbs VISITAR, ACOMPAÑAR, PODER, GUSTAR and PROMETER. For the last conversation,  the main difference in speech is the use of VOS instead of TÚ as well as the pronunciation of verbs and some sounds in the language. Press the play button to listen to the audio.

Example No. 1

  • Alejandro: ¿Cuáles son tus planes para el fin de semana?
  • Doris: Voy a visitar a mis abuelos ¿y tú?
  • Alejandro: Yo voy a ir al cine con Katia… Van a presentar una película muy buena.
  • Doris: ¿En serio? Prometo acompañarte la próxima vez.
  • Alejandro: Dale, me parece una buena idea.
Read English translation
Alejandro: What are your plans for the weekend?
Doris: I’m going to visit my grandparents, and you?
Alejandro: I’m going to the movies with Katia … They will show a very good movie.
Doris: Really? I promise to join you next time.
Alejandro: Deal! Sounds like a good idea to me.

Example No. 2

  • Alejandro: ¿Qué vas a hacer mañana Doris?
  • Doris: Voy a estudiar para mi examen de inglés y después voy a salir un rato. ¿Qué van a hacer Katia y tú?
  • Alejandro: Vamos a limpiar la casa… Está hecha un desastre.
  • Doris: Vaya, ojala que no terminen cansados.
Read English translation
Alejandro: What are you doing tomorrow, Doris?
Doris: I’ll study for my English test and then go out for a while. What are you and Katia going to do?
Alejandro: We are going to clean the house … It’s a total mess.
Doris: Well, hopefully you will not end up tired.

Example No. 3

  • Doris: ¿Qué piensas hacer en las vacaciones?
  • Alejandro: Planeo pintar la casa
  • Doris: ¿Ya tienes la pintura?
  • Alejandro: No, pero voy a comprar colores cálidos. También vamos a celebrar el cumpleaños de Sofía. ¿Qué planeas hacer tú?
  • Doris: Solo voy a relajarme y a leer unos cuantos libros.
Read English translation
Doris: What will you do on vacations?
Alejandro: I plan to paint the house
Doris: Do you already have the paint?
Alexander: No, but I will buy warm colors. We will also celebrate Sofia’s birthday. What do you plan to do?
Doris: I’m just going to relax and read a few books.

Example No. 4

  • Alejandro: ¿Qué planeas hacer el fin de semana?
  • Doris: Mauricio y yo vamos a ir al concierto de Katia. ¿Vos no vas a ir?
  • Alejandro: Que tuani, pero no puedo ir… Es una lástima pero seguro que ustedes se van a divertir. Después de todo, a vos te gusta mucho la música de Katia.
  • Doris: Ojala que nos podás acompañar la próxima vez.
  • Alejandro: Dale… en la próxima sí.
Read English translation
Alejandro: What do you plan to do this weekend?
Doris: Mauricio and I are going to Katia’s concert. Aren’t you going?
Alejandro: That’s cool, but I can’t go … It’s a shame, but I’m sure you will have fun. After all, you love Katia’s music.
Doris: Hopefully you will go with us next time.
Alejandro: Deal! … I’ll join you next time

Language tip:

DALE is an idiomatic word used in Nicaragua meaning “Deal!”. Another common word in Nicaragua is TUANI, which means “Cool!”. If you go to Nicaragua, you will hear the phrase ¡Qué tuani! (That’s cool!) a lot.

Listening Activity No. 1: My plans for the weekend in Spanish

Listen to a conversation between a man and a woman talking about their plans for the weekend in Spanish. Take notes of the information you consider important and listen carefully to identify how IR + A + Infinitive is used in the conversations to talk about plans in Spanish. ¡Buena suerte!

Key expressions in conversation:

  • Quería hablar contigo means I wanted to talk to you
  • ¡Qué rico! means So delicious!
  • Vamos a pasar por ti means We are going to pick you up
Conversation script: My plans for the weekend in Spanish
Alejandro: ¡Hola Doris! Quería hablar contigo.
Doris: ¿Sobre qué Alejandro?
Alejandro: Nada importante… ¿Cuáles son tus planes para este fin de semana?
Doris: Bueno, voy a limpiar la casa que está hecha un desastre, voy a relajarme y a leer un libro. ¿y tú que piensas hacer?
Alejandro: Mi novia y yo vamos a ir al concierto de Katia y como tenemos una entrada adicional, pensamos en invitarte a ir con nosotros. ¿Qué dices?
Doris: Dale, me parece buena idea… ¿Qué vamos a hacer después?
Alejandro: Vamos a ir a la casa de mi novia. Ella va a cocinar algo y yo voy a ayudarle…
Doris: ¡Uhmm que rico! Tengo que estar lista entonces… ¿Vas a llevar tu carro?
Alejandro: Sí, nosotros vamos a pasar por ti media hora antes del concierto… La vamos a pasar muy bien.
Doris: Estoy segura que así va a ser.

Listening activity No. 2: Talking about vacation plans in Spanish

Here is a recording of someone’s plan for his vacation plans in Spanish. Complete the plan with the information provided in the audio. Make sure you are following the rules we have discussed in this lesson. Press PLAY to listen to the audio.

Related Spanish Worksheets:

2 thoughts on “Making Future Plans in Spanish: IR + A + Infinitive”

    1. ¡Que bueno que te guste el sitio! Nos alegra mucho. Ambas palabras significan “Cool”, pero en Nicaragua usamos TUANI, por ejemplo: ¡Qué tuani tu auto! o ¡Es tuani saber español! 🙂

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