voy a
/boi a/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for 'gonna' is voy a.
In Spanish, voy a is used for both immediate future intentions and planned future actions, similar to the English 'gonna'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase voy a changes based on the subject: vas a is used for 'you are gonna' (informal) and va a is used for 'he/she is gonna' or 'you are gonna' (formal). The phrase vamos a is used to express 'we are gonna'. The phrase van a is used to express 'they are gonna' or 'you all are gonna'.
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'gonna' is strictly informal, using voy a plus an infinitive is perfectly acceptable in formal spoken Spanish and is not considered slang.
- The word voy comes from the Latin vadō, which originally meant 'to walk' or 'to go', rather than the more common Latin root īre.
- Beyond future intentions, the root verb ir can function as an auxiliary to describe a gradual change or a process unfolding over time, similar to 'getting' in English.
Examples in context
- Te voy a comer.I'm gonna eat you.This sentence shows how to use voy a to express a future intention involving eating.Tatoeba #9993364 by arh, translation #11324247 by Luornu
- Le voy a disparar.I'm gonna shoot him.This sentence shows how to use voy a to express an intention to shoot.Tatoeba #1449884 by marcelostockle, translation #1341 by human600
- Me voy a cargar a Tom.I'm gonna fuck Tom up.This sentence shows how to use voy a when expressing an intention to cause harm.Tatoeba #4553924 by swyter, translation #4542671 by slyfin
- Voy a salir con mis amigos esta noche.I'm going out with my friends tonight.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are discussing their plans for the evening.
- Mateo¿Qué vas a hacer hoy?What are you gonna do today?
- ElenaVoy a descansar un poco.I'm gonna rest a bit.
- MateoYo voy a salir con amigos.I'm gonna go out with friends.
- Elena¡Qué divertido, Mateo!How fun, Mateo!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, voy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
