voy en camino
/boi en kamino/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I am on my way" is expressed in Spanish as voy en camino.
The phrase is used to tell someone that you have already started traveling toward a destination. To sound more natural when emphasizing that you are starting the movement immediately, you can use ya voy to mean "I'm coming" or "I'm on my way now". If you want to say "I am coming running", you can say ya voy corriendo.
Which one should you use?
The informal expression ya voy can be used to say "I'm coming" or "I'm on my way now". Additionally, if you want to emphasize that you will arrive very soon, you can use the informal expression en seguida llego to mean "I'll be there right away".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico and Colombia, it is common to use voy de camino to express "I am on my way".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase voy en camino, the verb voy is the first-person singular present indicative of ir (to go). If you need to say "we are on our way", use the form estamos en camino.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying ya voy can be a social euphemism. It may be used to signal that the person is starting to get ready, even if they have not yet physically left their house.
- The word camino did not come directly from Classical Latin but entered the language via Gaulish, a Celtic language.
- While the word voy means 'I go', it is used in Spanish where English speakers would say 'I'm coming'. This means the speaker focuses on their movement away from their current location rather than their arrival at the destination.
Examples in context
- Estoy en camino y llegaré a la reunión puntualmente.I am on my way and will arrive at the meeting promptly.
- Voy rumbo a la oficina. Llegaré en breve.I am heading to the office. I will be there shortly.
- ¡Espérame en la puerta! Ya voy.Wait for me at the door! I am on my way.
- Necesito unos minutos más. En seguida llego.I need a few more minutes. I'll be there right away.
- Estoy de camino a tu casa, ¿en qué calle vives?I am on my way to your house, what street do you live on?
- No te preocupes, voy en camino.Don't worry, I'm on my way.
- Ya voy en camino a la oficina.I am already on my way to the office.
- Diles que voy en camino.Tell them I am on my way.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are meeting for lunch.
- DanielLucía, ¿dónde estás?Lucía, where are you?
- LucíaYa voy en camino, Daniel.I am on my way, Daniel.
- DanielPerfecto, yo ya estoy aquí.Perfect, I am already here.
- LucíaLlego en un momento.I'll be there in a moment.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries camino, en, voy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
