Use ir for movement to a place, irse for leaving, and salir for going out.
Spanish has no single switch for every English use of “to go.” The safest base verb is ir, which points to movement toward a place, an activity, or a planned action. Once you know that base, the rest gets easier: irse means to leave or go away, while salir means to go out, depart, or turn out a certain way.
This matters because English uses “go” in dozens of ways. We say go home, go shopping, go crazy, go with a shirt, go well, and go out. Spanish splits those meanings into different verbs. A learner who tries to translate every “go” as ir will sound stiff in some sentences and wrong in others.
The good news: you don’t need a giant list. You need the patterns Spanish speakers lean on every day. Start with where someone moves, then check whether the idea is leaving, going out, working, matching, or changing state.
How To Say ‘To Go’ In Spanish With Ir
Ir is the main verb for going to a destination. It is irregular, so the present forms are voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, and van. In Latin America, learners will hear ustedes van for “you all go.” In Spain, vosotros vais is common in casual plural speech.
Use ir a before a place: Voy a la biblioteca, “I’m going to the library.” The preposition matters. English may drop “to” in “go home,” but Spanish still needs a neat pattern: ir a casa. When a comes before el, it becomes al: Voy al banco, not voy a el banco.
Use ir a plus an infinitive for a planned action: Voy a estudiar, “I’m going to study.” This pattern is one of the most useful structures in beginner Spanish because it lets you speak about plans before you know many verb tenses.
Use Ir For Places, Events, And Activities
For a place, pair ir with a. For an activity, Spanish often uses ir a plus the noun or infinitive: ir a clase, ir a nadar, ir al cine. For a mode of transport, use ir en: ir en coche, ir en tren, ir en avión. One oddball is walking: ir a pie.
When you add a person, use con: Voy con Ana. If the meaning is “go with” as in matching clothes, Spanish often prefers quedar bien con or combinar con. Ese color combina con la camisa sounds more natural than a direct word-for-word copy.
Read The Sentence Before You Translate
Before you pick a Spanish verb, ask what the English sentence is doing. If “go” points to a place, use ir. If it points to an exit, use irse or salir de. If it points to a result, such as a test going well, use salir. This one habit cuts out most awkward choices.
Small words can steer the answer too. “Go to” usually asks for ir a. “Go from” often asks for irse de or salir de. “Go by” before a vehicle asks for ir en. “Go on” before another action often asks for seguir. English is flexible; Spanish is more exact.
When a sentence feels tricky, say it in plainer English first. “I’m off” becomes “I’m leaving,” so me voy fits better than plain voy.
Main Ways To Translate To Go In Spanish
Use this table as a choice check. Pick the English meaning first, then choose the Spanish verb that fits that meaning.
| English Use Of “Go” | Best Spanish Choice | Natural Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Move toward a place | ir a | Voy a Madrid. I’m going to Madrid. |
| Go home | ir a casa | Vamos a casa. We’re going home. |
| Go out socially | salir | Salimos esta noche. We’re going out tonight. |
| Leave a place | irse | Me voy. I’m leaving. |
| Go by transport | ir en | Van en tren. They’re going by train. |
| Go shopping | ir de compras | Fue de compras. She went shopping. |
| Go well or badly | salir bien / salir mal | La prueba salió bien. The test went well. |
| Go with clothing | combinar con | Los zapatos combinan con el vestido. The shoes go with the dress. |
| Go on working | seguir | Sigue leyendo. Go on reading. |
When Irse Means To Leave
Irse is the reflexive form of ir, and it usually means to leave, head out, or go away. The tiny pronoun changes the feel of the verb. Voy al trabajo means “I’m going to work.” Me voy means “I’m leaving.” The destination may stay unsaid because the act of leaving is the main point.
The pronouns are me, te, se, nos, os, and se. Say Me voy temprano for “I’m leaving early.” Say ¿Te vas ya? for “Are you leaving already?” A full sentence can add the place with de: Nos vamos de la fiesta, “We’re leaving the party.”
Ir And Irse Are Not The Same
A small pronoun can change the whole message. Ella va a la tienda tells where she is going. Ella se va de la tienda says she is leaving the store.
Here is a simple test. If you can add “from here” or “away” to the English sentence, irse may fit. If you can add a clear destination after “to,” ir is probably right.
When Salir Means To Go Out Or Turn Out
Salir has several everyday jobs. It can mean to go out socially, to leave a place, to depart at a set time, or to turn out. Salgo con mis amigos means “I go out with my friends.” El tren sale a las ocho means “The train leaves at eight.” Todo salió bien means “Everything went well.”
For dates and social plans, salir sounds natural. Vamos a salir el sábado means “We’re going out on Saturday.” For a person walking out of a building, salir de works too: Sale de la oficina, “He leaves the office.”
Common Errors When Saying To Go In Spanish
Many errors come from trusting English too much. The Spanish verb should match the idea, not the English word.
| Mistake | Better Spanish | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Voy casa | Voy a casa | Spanish needs a before the destination. |
| Voy a el parque | Voy al parque | A plus el becomes al. |
| Me voy a la escuela for any trip to school | Voy a la escuela | Me voy stresses leaving, not the destination. |
| Ir fuera for a social night | Salir | Spanish uses salir for going out. |
| La camisa va con los zapatos | La camisa combina con los zapatos | Matching clothes usually takes combinar. |
Past Forms You’ll Hear A Lot
The past form of ir can feel strange because it shares forms with ser: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron. Context tells the meaning. Fui al museo means “I went to the museum.” Fue profesor means “He was a teacher.”
For repeated past habits, use the imperfect: iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban. De niño, iba a la playa cada verano means “As a child, I used to go to the beach every summer.”
Practice Sentences For Real Spanish
Build your own sentences by swapping the place, person, or time. Start with voy a, then add a destination or verb: Voy a clase, Voy a comer, Voy a llamar a mi hermana. The pattern stays steady, so it gives you a lot of speech from a small base.
Then compare it with me voy. Say Me voy a las seis when the point is your departure time. Say Voy a la estación a las seis when the point is where you’re going. That difference is small on the page, but Spanish speakers hear it right away.
Try pairs out loud: Voy al mercado and Me voy del mercado. Salgo con mis amigos and Voy con mis amigos al mercado. The first pair contrasts going to and leaving from. The second pair contrasts social plans with movement to a place.
Final Tip For Choosing The Right Verb
Ask one plain question: what does “go” mean in this sentence? If it means movement to a destination, choose ir. If it means leaving, choose irse. If it means going out, departing, or turning out well or badly, choose salir. If it means matching, continuing, or working, pick the verb Spanish uses for that exact idea.
That habit will save you from stiff translation. Spanish gets cleaner when you stop chasing the English word and start matching the message. Use ir as your base, learn the few common switches, and your sentences will sound far more natural.