ya voy
/ʝa boi/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase for "I'm coming" is ya voy.
ya voy is used to tell someone that you are on your way to where they are. While English uses the verb "to come" to describe movement toward a listener, Spanish uses the verb "to go" to indicate movement toward a destination or person.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "already I go", where ya means "already" and voy is the first-person singular of the verb ir (to go).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and parts of Central America, the informal phrase Ahorita llego is used to mean "I'll be there in a moment".
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say ya vengo to mean "I'm coming" (on my way). However, ya vengo actually implies "I am coming back" or "I am returning" from a place.
When do people say it?
If you need to tell someone you are moving through a crowd or a tight space, you can use Permiso, estoy pasando to mean "Excuse me, I'm coming through".
Did you know?
- If you tell a friend in Mexico Ahorita llego to say you are coming, they might not expect you for a long time, as ahorita is famously used to denote an indefinite, often delayed, amount of time.
- The word ya in the phrase ya voy is a linguistic relative of the French word déjà. Both words share a common ancestor in the Latin word iam, which carried the meaning of 'now' or 'already'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying ya voy can be a polite way of acknowledging a request without actually promising to move immediately.
Examples in context
- "Tom, apúrate". "¡Ya voy!""Tom, hurry up." "I'm coming!"This example shows a response to being told to hurry up.Tatoeba #7969680 by pchamorro, translation #1889727 by CK
- ¡Ya voy, ya voy! Dejen de aporrear la puerta, que ya les he oído… Al final me van a echar la puerta abajo y van a tener que pagarme una nueva.I'm coming, I'm coming! Stop pounding the door, I heard you already. You're going to end up knocking it down and then you'll have to buy me a new one.This example shows a response to someone pounding on a door.Tatoeba #9935029 by Shishir, translation #9935041 by DJ_Saidez
- Ya voy.I'm coming.This is a simple way to say "I'm coming".Tatoeba #337105 by kylecito, translation #52081 by CK
- Disculpe, estoy llegando a la reunión.Excuse me, I'm coming to the meeting.
- Doctora González, ya voy a atender a su próximo paciente.Doctor González, I'm coming to attend to your next patient.
- ¡Espera, voy!Wait, I'm coming!
- Estoy llegando ahora mismo, no te preocupes.I'm coming right now, don't worry.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía is calling Alejandro to tell him she is almost at his house.
- Sofía¡Alejandro, ya voy para allá!Alejandro, I'm coming there now!
- Alejandro¿En serio? ¿Estás cerca?Really? Are you close?
- SofíaSí, ya voy en el autobús.Yes, I'm coming on the bus.
- AlejandroPerfecto, te espero aquí.Perfect, I'll wait for you here.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries voy, ya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
