Level 2 — Elementary (CEFR: A2)
Unit 5 — Verb Group 1: -AR Verbs
Lesson 12 — Near Future: IR + A + Infinitive
Lesson Overview
Level: 2 — Elementary Unit: 5 — Verb Group 1: -AR Verbs Lesson: 12 of 14 Estimated Time: 45–60 minutes
What this lesson covers:
- The near future construction: ir + a + infinitive
- Conjugation of ir in the present tense (irregular -AR verb)
- When to use the near future vs. the simple future (Lesson 13)
- The near future in ministry contexts: plans, intentions, announcements
- The oral prediction drill
- Why the near future is more common in spoken Latin American Spanish than the simple future
The Near Future Construction
Spanish has two ways to express the future:
- Near future: ir (present) + a + infinitive — more common in speech
- Simple future: verb stem + future endings — more formal or for more distant events
This lesson covers the near future. Lesson 13 covers the simple future.
Structure
Ir (to go) conjugated in the present tense + a + the infinitive of the main verb:
Voy a predicar. — I am going to preach. Vas a orar. — You are going to pray. Va a enseñar. — He/she is going to teach. Vamos a bautizar. — We are going to baptize. Van a adorar. — They are going to worship.
English equivalent: going to [verb] — exactly parallel. English speakers use “going to” for near, planned, or imminent future; Spanish speakers use ir + a + infinitive for the same function.
Ir in the Present Tense
Ir is the most irregular verb in Spanish. It must be memorized:
| Pronoun | ir |
|---|---|
| yo | voy |
| tú | vas |
| él / ella / usted | va |
| nosotros | vamos |
| ellos / ustedes | van |
Note: voy belongs to the -oy group (along with soy, estoy, doy) — a useful memory hook.
Vamos a + infinitive: The first-person plural vamos a [verb] can mean either “we are going to [verb]” (near future) or serve as a cohortative — a call to action equivalent to “let’s [verb]”:
Vamos a orar. — We are going to pray. / Let’s pray. Vamos a comenzar. — We are going to begin. / Let’s begin. Vamos a adorar al Señor. — We are going to worship the Lord. / Let’s worship the Lord.
In ministry contexts, vamos a + infinitive is one of the most common ways to invite the congregation into an action.
Why the Near Future Dominates Spoken Spanish
In formal writing and literary Spanish, the simple future (hablaré, predicará) is common. In everyday spoken Latin American Spanish, the near future (voy a hablar, va a predicar) is used far more frequently for ordinary plans and imminent actions.
This means that in the ministry contexts most interpreters encounter — spoken sermons, pastoral conversations, testimonies, announcements — the near future is the default future tense. The interpreter who is waiting to recognize simple future endings (-ré, -rá, -rán) will miss a large portion of future-tense speech that uses the near future construction instead.
Practical rule: When a Latin American speaker mentions what they or someone else are going to do, expect ir + a + infinitive as the primary form.
Ministry Contexts for the Near Future
Announcements and Plans
El pastor va a predicar sobre la oración este domingo. — The pastor is going to preach about prayer this Sunday. Vamos a tener una reunión de oración el viernes. — We are going to have a prayer meeting on Friday. Los misioneros van a visitar tres comunidades esta semana. — The missionaries are going to visit three communities this week. Van a bautizar a doce personas el próximo domingo. — They are going to baptize twelve people next Sunday.
Ministry Commitments and Intentions
Voy a predicar el evangelio dondequiera que vaya. — I am going to preach the gospel wherever I go. Vamos a servir a esta comunidad con todo lo que tenemos. — We are going to serve this community with everything we have. El Señor va a hacer grandes cosas en este lugar. — The Lord is going to do great things in this place.
Prophetic and Hopeful Statements
Dios va a sanar a esa familia. — God is going to heal that family. El evangelio va a llegar a cada rincón de esta ciudad. — The gospel is going to reach every corner of this city. Va a haber un avivamiento en esta región. — There is going to be a revival in this region.
Invitations and Cohortative
Vamos a orar juntos. — Let’s pray together. Vamos a adorar al Señor. — Let’s worship the Lord. ¿Quién va a compartir su testimonio esta noche? — Who is going to share their testimony tonight?
Altar Call / Invitation Language
Si vas a entregar tu vida a Cristo esta noche, pasa al frente. — If you are going to give your life to Christ tonight, come forward. ¿Vas a confiar en Dios con este problema? — Are you going to trust God with this problem?
Negation of the Near Future
No comes before ir (the conjugated verb):
No voy a predicar hoy. — I am not going to preach today. No va a llegar hasta mañana. — He is not going to arrive until tomorrow. No vamos a olvidar esta noche. — We are not going to forget this night.
Questions in the Near Future
¿Vas a predicar esta noche? — Are you going to preach tonight? ¿Qué van a enseñar esta semana? — What are they going to teach this week? ¿A qué hora va a empezar el servicio? — What time is the service going to start?
The Oral Prediction Drill
This is the core drill from the curriculum. Look around the room (or imagine a ministry setting) and make predictions using the near future.
Voy a estudiar esta tarde. — I am going to study this afternoon. El pastor va a predicar mañana. — The pastor is going to preach tomorrow. Vamos a orar ahora. — We are going to pray now.
Ministry extension: Make ten predictions about an upcoming ministry event — a church service, a mission trip, a community outreach. Use all five forms of ir at least once. Deliver the predictions aloud without stopping.
Sample predictions: El servicio va a empezar a las diez. El pastor va a predicar sobre la gracia. Voy a interpretar. Los hermanos van a adorar con mucho fervor. Vamos a invitar a la comunidad. El Espíritu Santo va a obrar. Muchos van a responder al llamado. Vamos a bautizar la semana que viene.
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1 — Near Future Production
Convert each sentence from present to near future:
- El pastor predica esta noche.
- Oramos antes del servicio.
- Los misioneros llegan mañana.
- Enseñas la clase de Biblia.
- Bautizamos en el río.
Exercise 2 — Ministry Announcements
You are the interpreter making church announcements. Render each English announcement into Spanish using the near future:
- “The pastor is going to preach from Luke 15 this Sunday.”
- “We are going to have a prayer meeting every Tuesday night.”
- “The missionaries are going to arrive on Thursday.”
- “There is going to be a baptism service next month.”
- “We are going to share the gospel in the plaza this Saturday.”
Exercise 3 — Cohortative Vamos a
Produce five cohortative sentences using vamos a + infinitive, as if you are leading a group into an activity:
Vamos a…
- (pray)
- (worship)
- (listen to the Word)
- (invite our neighbors)
- (give thanks)
Exercise 4 — Oral Prediction Drill
Do the full oral prediction drill as described in this lesson: 10 predictions about a ministry event, using all five forms of ir. No notes. Time yourself — target under 90 seconds.
Key Takeaways for This Lesson
Before moving to Lesson 13:
- Know ir in all five Latin American present tense forms: voy, vas, va, vamos, van
- Know the near future structure: ir + a + infinitive
- Know that vamos a + infinitive can express near future OR a cohortative “let’s”
- Understand that the near future is more common than the simple future in spoken Latin American Spanish
- Complete the oral prediction drill
Daily Practice
Future planning habit:
Every evening this week, make three plans for tomorrow using the near future: Mañana voy a orar. Voy a escuchar español por veinte minutos. Voy a practicar los verbos.
These sentences are useful, true, and embed the near future construction in real personal plans.