me voy
/me boi/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase to say 'I am going' when announcing that you are leaving a place is me voy.
me voy is used to communicate your departure or your intention to leave a location. It can be used to mean 'I am leaving' or 'I am going away'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the reflexive pronoun me (myself) and the verb voy (I go), literally meaning 'I go myself away'.
Which one should you use?
While voy means 'I go' and indicates movement toward a destination, me voy specifically emphasizes the act of leaving or departing from your current location.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the informal expression Chau, me fui is used to mean 'Bye, I'm gone'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase me voy functions as both the present tense 'I am leaving' and the immediate future 'I am going to leave'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say voy when they mean they are departing. However, me voy is the natural way to announce your departure.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, people may say me voy but remain standing and talking for several more minutes before actually departing.
- The word voy comes from the Latin 'vadere', which originally meant 'to walk' or 'to go', eventually displacing the more common Latin 'eō'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying me voy without a preceding social ritual of 'despedida' (farewell) can be seen as abrupt or even rude.
Examples in context
- Yo también me voy.I am going, too.Tatoeba #673012 by Shishir, translation #619687 by ulyssemc1
- Me voy a la tienda.I am going to the shop.Tatoeba #1239000 by marcelostockle, translation #654928 by cl
- Me voy a ir en seguida.I am going to go right away.Tatoeba #2254732 by hayastan, translation #2254731 by _undertoad
- Voy a ir al supermercadoI am going to the supermarket
- Me voy a casaI am going home
- Estoy de salida de la oficinaI am on my way out of the office
- Me piro de la fiestaI'm off from the party
- Me largo de la reuniónI'm taking off from the meeting
- Me voy volando de esta aburrida conferenciaI'm flying away from this boring conference
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are saying goodbye at a cafe.
- SofíaDaniel, me voy ya.Daniel, I am leaving now.
- Daniel¿Te vas tan pronto, Sofía?Are you leaving so soon, Sofía?
- SofíaSí, tengo mucho trabajo.Yes, I have a lot of work.
- DanielEstá bien, ¡hasta luego!Alright, see you later!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, voy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
