ir + infinitive: the spoken future

What it is

To talk about the future in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, use ir in the present followed by an infinitive: Vou viajar (I’m going to travel). It covers plans, intentions and predictions, so it does the work of English “going to” and of most uses of “will”. Portuguese also has a one-word future (viajarei), but in conversation it sounds formal; you’ll meet it much later.

How to form it

• Only ir changes. The second verb stays in the infinitive: ele vai viajar, eles vão viajar.
• Nothing goes between the two verbs: no a, no para. Vou viajar, not vou a viajar.
• a gente takes vai, like ele: A gente vai jantar fora.
• não goes before ir: Não vou trabalhar amanhã. To say you won’t be able to do something, add poder: Não vou poder ir.
• Time words go at the start or at the end: Amanhã eu vou viajar or Eu vou viajar amanhã. Useful ones: hoje à noite (tonight), no fim de semana, na semana que vem (next week), no ano que vem, daqui a pouco (in a little while).

When to use it

• Vou estudar medicina.I’m going to study medicine.a plan
• A gente vai jantar fora hoje.We’re eating out tonight.an arrangement
• Vai chover.It’s going to rain.a prediction
• Você vai gostar.You’ll like it.a prediction
• Vamos comer?Shall we eat?a suggestion
• Não vou poder ir.I won’t be able to go.saying no politely

Let’s. Vamos + infinitive also makes a suggestion: Vamos comer? (Shall we eat?), Vamos ver (Let’s see). Vamos! on its own means “Let’s go!”, and among friends you’ll hear Bora!: Bora almoçar?

Going to go. To say you’re going somewhere, Brazilians usually use ir on its own: Você vai na festa? — Vou! Vou ir is common in speech, but many people avoid it.

Contrasts and traps

• Vou a viajar ✗ and Vou para viajar ✗ → vou viajar.
• A gente vamos ✗ → a gente vai. Eles van ✗ → eles vão.
• Vou não trabalhar ✗ → não vou trabalhar.
• Vou viajo ✗ → vou viajar: the second verb is always the infinitive.
• Tô indo (estar + the gerund of ir) means “I’m on my way” or “I’m leaving now”: Tô indo! (Coming!). It is not a general future: No ano que vem vou morar no Rio.
• English uses the progressive for arrangements (I’m leaving tomorrow). Brazilians use ir + infinitive or the simple present with a time word: Vou sair amanhã or Saio amanhã.
• For a decision made on the spot, the simple present also works: Eu pago! (I’ll pay!)

If you speak Spanish

The structure is Spanish ir a + infinitive without the a: voy a viajar → vou viajar, vamos a ver → vamos ver. Watch the forms, too: voy → vou, va → vai, van → vão; only vamos is the same. Before a place a preposition is fine (vou pra praia); before an infinitive, never.