Ir
to go
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | vou | Eu vou ao mercado depois do trabalho. — I go to the market after work. |
| você/ele/ela | vai | Ela vai aonde o coração manda. — She goes where the heart tells her. |
| nós | vamos | Nós vamos juntos — sempre juntos. — We go together — always together. |
| eles/elas | vão | Eles vão à praia todo verão sem falta. — They go to the beach every summer without fail. |
I go where I'm needed — that's how I organise my priorities. My friend goes everywhere with first-time curiosity. We go together because separately the path gets longer. Going is always an act of hope — we believe the destination is worth it.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | fui | Eu fui ao show sozinha e foi uma das melhores noites da vida. — I went to the show alone and it was one of the best nights of my life. |
| você/ele/ela | foi | Ela foi ao outro lado do mundo sem saber o que ia encontrar. — She went to the other side of the world without knowing what she'd find. |
| nós | fomos | Nós fomos ao mesmo lugar todo ano por dez anos. — We went to the same place every year for ten years. |
| eles/elas | foram | Eles foram os primeiros a chegar e os últimos a sair. — They were the first to arrive and the last to leave. |
The exchange trip was the biggest decision of my life. I went without knowing what to expect and came back knowing what I wanted. My friend went to Asia and never came back — she lives there. We went to the same place in different years and each found something different. Those who went without an itinerary discovered what itineraries never show.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | ia | Eu ia a pé quando chovia — gostava da chuva. — I used to go on foot when it rained — I liked the rain. |
| você/ele/ela | ia | Ela ia à biblioteca todo sábado como quem vai ao templo. — She used to go to the library every Saturday like someone going to a temple. |
| nós | íamos | Nós íamos ao cinema nas sextas sem reservar — sempre cabia. — We used to go to the cinema on Fridays without booking — there was always room. |
| eles/elas | iam | Eles iam à casa da avó de surpresa e ela nunca ficava surpresa. — They used to go to their grandmother's unannounced and she was never surprised. |
In childhood, I used to go to the bakery every day with my grandfather. I used to go in pyjamas and sandals and thought it was the best. My mum used to walk to school as a child — two kilometres each way. We used to go to the beach every second week of January — immutable.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou | Eu vou viajar no próximo mês — finalmente. — I'm going to travel next month — finally. |
| você/ele/ela | vai | Ela vai mudar de emprego em breve. — She's going to change jobs soon. |
| nós | vamos | Nós vamos jantar fora hoje — merecemos. — We're going to eat out today — we've earned it. |
| eles/elas | vão | Eles vão anunciar o resultado amanhã. — They're going to announce the result tomorrow. |
The week is full but the heart is bigger. I'm going to meet those I haven't seen for months. My friend is going to her son's graduation on Saturday. We're going to the show together — I bought tickets before asking. Those who aren't going to the event yet need to confirm by tomorrow.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | irei | Irei aonde me chamarem com propósito. — I will go wherever I am called with purpose. |
| você/ele/ela | irá | Ela irá mais longe do que qualquer um imagina. — She will go further than anyone imagines. |
| nós | iremos | Iremos até o fim desta jornada juntos. — We will go to the end of this journey together. |
| eles/elas | irão | Eles irão onde a missão pedir. — They will go wherever the mission requires. |
The plan was defined: The team will go into the field in the next fortnight. We will go to the most remote communities first. The volunteers will go to the designated points as per the map. I will personally go to the first meeting in each region.
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | iria | Eu iria a qualquer lugar por quem amo. — I would go anywhere for those I love. |
| você/ele/ela | iria | Ela iria se soubesse que seria bem-vinda. — She would go if she knew she would be welcome. |
| nós | iríamos | Iríamos mais vezes se o tempo fosse mais generoso. — We would go more often if time were more generous. |
| eles/elas | iriam | Eles iriam se o convite chegasse no momento certo. — They would go if the invitation arrived at the right moment. |
If fear didn't weigh so much, I would go to many more places. My friend would go to Europe this year if flights were affordable. We would go together more often if our schedules coincided. People would go further if they knew they can come back.
Ir across the tenses
A short story using ir in multiple tenses
Meu avô dizia que tudo que importa se alcança indo — não esperando. Ia a todo lugar a pé quando podia. Nós íamos com ele às vezes e aprendíamos que o caminho vale tanto quanto o destino.
Hoje eu vou com mais intenção. Ontem fui a um lugar que evitei por anos — e era exatamente o que precisava. Fomos assim às coisas que mais importam — com hesitação, mas fomos.
No próximo mês, vou ao interior visitar minha família. Se tudo correr bem, irei também ao lugar onde meu avô nasceu.
Perguntei a ele onde mais iria se pudesse ir a um lugar só. Ele olhou para dentro: Iria ao passado — não para mudar nada. Só para ver tudo de novo com os olhos que tenho agora.
My grandfather used to say that everything that matters is reached by going — not by waiting. He used to walk everywhere when he could. We used to go with him sometimes and learned that the journey is worth as much as the destination. Today I go with more intention. Yesterday I went to a place I had avoided for years — and it was exactly what I needed. We go to the things that matter most like this — with hesitation, but we go. Next month, I'm going to the countryside to visit my family. If all goes well, I will also go to the place where my grandfather was born. I asked him where he would most go if he could go only one place. He looked inward: I would go to the past — not to change anything. Just to see everything again with the eyes I have now.
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