Voy a
/boi a/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I go to" is translated as Voy a.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, people might use Voy a pegar una vuelta instead of Salgo para to mean I'm going to take a stroll.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase Voy a is used both to express movement to a place and to express the near future (the periphrastic future).
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say Voy a el instead of the contraction Voy al when the destination is a masculine singular noun like parque (park).
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying Voy is used as a quick reply when called, similar to the English 'Coming!' The speaker is technically saying 'I go', even though they are moving toward the person calling them.
- The verb in Voy a comes from the Latin vadō, meaning 'to go' or 'to walk'. It eventually replaced the much more common Latin verb īre in the Spanish language.
- While Voy a indicates movement, adding the word ya as in Ya voy changes the nuance. It suggests the speaker is starting the movement immediately, often used to signal impatience or compliance.
Examples in context
- Yo voy a Kioto.I go to Kyoto.This sentence shows how to use Voy a with a specific city.Tatoeba #1247696 by marcelostockle, translation #252233 by CN
- Voy a San Pablo.I go to San Pablo.Tatoeba #2911755 by hayastan, translation #5109650 by argentum
- Voy a la escuela.I go to school.This sentence shows how to use Voy a with a destination like a school.Tatoeba #473450 by Shishir, translation #472089 by tamsanh
- Voy a la escuelaI go to school
- Voy al trabajoI go to work
- Me dirijo a la reuniónI go to the meeting
- Me dirijo al hospitalI go to the hospital
- Acudo a la bibliotecaI go to the library
- Acudo a la cita médicaI go to the doctor's appointment
- Voy a la playaI go to the beach
- Voy al cineI go to the movies
- Me voy para la casa de MaríaI'm going to Maria's house
- Me voy para el parqueI'm going to the park
- Salgo para la fiestaI'm going to the party
- Salgo para el conciertoI'm going to the concert
- Me voy a la playaI'm going to the beach
- 94 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their weekend plans near a train station.
- MaríaVoy a la playa este fin de semana.I am going to the beach this weekend.
- Javier¿En serio? Yo voy a la montaña.Really? I am going to the mountains.
- María¡Qué divertido! Disfruta mucho tu viaje, Javier.How fun! Enjoy your trip a lot, Javier.
- JavierGracias, María. ¡Pásalo muy bien!Thanks, María. Have a great time!
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.
