Expressing Future with IR + Infinitive

This structure relies on a simple partnership between a "helper" verb and a "main" action verb. The helper is always the verb ir (to go), and the main verb is whatever action you’re planning to do. The magic happens because only the helper verb changes its shape to match the person talking. The main verb stays in its "dictionary form," which we call the infinitive. Imagine a two-car train. The first car is the engine—that's ir. It changes based on who is driving. If it’s "I," the engine becomes vou. If it’s "we," it becomes vamos. The second car is the cargo—that's the action, like comer (to eat) or dormir (to sleep). No matter who is talking, that cargo car stays exactly the same. It’s a rock-solid partnership that makes your life much easier. You don't need to worry about the ends of the action verbs; you just need to get the engine right. It’s like Lego bricks for your language skills!

1. 1Building this sentence is a straightforward three-step process. Follow these and you simply can't go wrong:
2. 2Pick your Subject: Decide who is performing the action (e.g., Eu, Você, Nós).
3. 3Conjugate the verb ir: Match it to your subject in the present tense. This is the only part you really need to memorize.
4. 4Eu vou (I am going)
5. 5Você/Ele/Ela vai (You/He/She is going)
6. 6Nós vamos (We are going)
7. 7Vocês/Eles/Elas vão (You all/They are going)
8. 8Add the Infinitive: Pick your action verb and keep it in its original form (ending in -ar, -er, or -ir).
9. 9For example, if you want to say "We are going to study," you take Nós (Step 1), add vamos (Step 2), and then add estudar (Step 3). Put it together and you get: Nós vamos estudar. Easy, right? Pro tip: In casual speech, people often drop the subject (Eu, Nós, etc.) because the form of ir already tells everyone who is talking. Vou viajar is a perfectly complete and natural sentence!

This isn't just for things happening "in a second." You can use it whenever you have a clear plan or intention in your mind.

• Immediate actions: When you're about to do something right now. "I'm going to open the door" becomes Vou abrir a porta.
• Planned events: For things you’ve already decided on. "We’re going to get married in June" becomes Vamos casar em junho.
• Predictions based on what you see: If you see dark clouds, you say Vai chover (It’s going to rain). Think of it like a grammar weather forecast.
• Social invitations: When you're making plans with friends. "Are you going to go to the party?" is Você vai à festa?.
• Professional settings: It’s great for job interviews or emails to show you are proactive. Vou enviar o currículo hoje (I'm going to send the resume today) sounds confident and direct.

It’s the standard choice for almost all spoken Portuguese. If you're at a restaurant, don't use the stiff formal future. Use this! Eu vou querer o frango (I'll have the chicken) makes you sound like you actually live there.

While it's incredibly versatile, there are a few moments where it might feel a bit out of place. Avoid it in very formal legal writing, academic papers, or old-fashioned literature. In those cases, writers use the "Simple Future" (falarei, comeremos) to sound more authoritative or poetic. Also, try to avoid "verb stacking" that sounds a bit repetitive. While saying Eu vou ir (I am going to go) is technically fine, most native speakers find it a bit clunky. They usually just say Eu vou or Eu vou estar lá. Finally, don't use this for habits that happen every day. If you usually go to the gym on Mondays, just use the regular present tense: Eu vou à academia. This future structure is specifically for one-time plans or upcoming changes in your routine. It's about what's *coming next*, not what's *always happening*.

The absolute biggest trap for beginners is trying to conjugate both verbs. You might feel a strong urge to say Eu vou como because you want the "eating" part to match the "I." Resist that urge! It’s always Eu vou comer. Think of it like a grammar traffic light: the first verb is green (it moves and changes), but the second verb is red (it must stay still). Another common slip-up is adding "to" (like in the English "going to"). Beginners often say Vou a comer. In Portuguese, you don't need that little a. You go straight from the helper verb to the action. Just snap them together! Lastly, be careful with the plural for "we." In informal Brazilian Portuguese, you’ll hear people say a gente vai. That’s fine! But try to avoid the grammatically incorrect nós vai which you might hear on the street. Sticking to nós vamos will make you sound much more polished and educated, like you've actually been paying attention in class!

In English, we have "will" and "be going to." Portuguese also has two futures, but the vibe is different. The "Simple Future" (Eu comerei) is like the English "will" but turned up to a level of formality that feels like a tuxedo. If you use it while grabbing a burger with friends, they might look at you like you’re reading from a 17th-century poem. It’s stiff and a bit cold. The ir + Infinitive version is our "be going to." It’s warm, it’s conversational, and it implies that the action is linked to the present through your decision. It bridges the gap between what's happening now and what's coming next. It's the language of real life, not the language of dusty old grammar books. If you want to sound friendly and approachable, this is the only future tense you truly need to master in your first few months of learning.