Ir and Venir
Use ir for going somewhere and venir for coming toward a person or place.
Ir and Venir
Ir means “to go” to another place. Venir means “to come” toward the speaker or toward the place being discussed.
Present tense
| Subject | ir | venir |
|---|---|---|
| yo | voy | vengo |
| tú | vas | vienes |
| él / ella / usted | va | viene |
| nosotros/as | vamos | venimos |
| vosotros/as | vais | venís |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | van | vienen |
Examples
Voy a la universidad.
I am going to the university.
Vamos al centro.
We are going downtown.
¿Vienes a mi casa?
Are you coming to my house?
Mi amiga viene a Madrid mañana.
My friend is coming to Madrid tomorrow.
Mis padres van en tren.
My parents are going by train.
Watch out
Both verbs are irregular. Learn their present forms as complete words, especially voy and vengo.
Use ir with destinations and transport expressions. The pattern ir a + infinitive talks about a future plan.