vamos
/ˈbamos/
The Spanish phrase for 'come now' is vamos.
vamos is an expression used to encourage someone to move or to hurry up. While it literally translates to 'we go', it is frequently used as an interjection meaning 'come on', 'let's go' or 'hurry up'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used in the sense of 'come now' or 'let's go', ¡Vamos! is often used as an exclamatory sentence and is frequently accompanied by exclamation marks. The verb venir is conjugated as venga for the formal imperative and as ven for the informal imperative.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbamos/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, ¡Vamos! can be used to express disbelief or skepticism, similar to saying 'You can't be serious!' or 'No way!' in English.
- The form vamos actually replaced the older Spanish word 'imos' in many contexts due to a linguistic process where the subjunctive form became the standard for the indicative.
- If you are in Spain and want to tell someone to 'hurry up' in a very common, colloquial way, you might hear people say ¡Venga! instead of ¡Vamos!
Examples in context
- Venga ahora mismo, el jefe lo está esperando.Come right now, the boss is waiting for you.
- Por favor, acuda de inmediato a la sala de reuniones.Please come immediately to the meeting room.
- Ven ahora mismo y nos divertiremos juntos.Come right now, and we'll have fun together.
- ¡Ven ya, la película está por empezar!Come now, the movie is about to start!
- ¡Vamos, que perdemos el tren!Come now, we're going to miss the train!
- Vamos, levántate de la cama.Come now, get out of bed.
- ¡Vamos, que llegamos tarde!Come now, we're running late!
Example conversation
Alejandro is waiting for Elena to put on her shoes.
- Alejandro¡Vamos, Elena! Ya es hora de salir.Come on, Elena! It's time to leave.
- ElenaSolo un segundo más, Alejandro.Just one more second, Alejandro.
- AlejandroVamos, que no quiero perder el autobús.Hurry up, I don't want to miss the bus.
- ElenaEstá bien, ya estoy lista.Alright, I'm ready now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry vamos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vamos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
