Journey Through Conjugation: A Comprehensive Guide to the Portuguese Verb 'Ir'

In the vibrant world of the Portuguese language, the verb “ir” (to go) holds a special place as a fundamental and versatile verb. Whether embarking on a physical journey or expressing future plans, “ir” plays a vital role in communication. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the conjugation of “ir” across various tenses and moods, accompanied by example sentences to illustrate their practical use. By mastering the conjugations of “ir,” you will unlock the ability to express movement, intentions, and aspirations in Portuguese.

• Present Indicative Tense
• Imperfect Indicative Tense
• Preterite Indicative Tense
• Future Indicative Tense
• Conditional Mood
• Subjunctive Mood
  • Present Subjunctive Tense
  • Imperfect Subjunctive Tense
• Imperative Mood
• Conclusion

Present Indicative Tense

1. Eu vou - I go/am going
   • Eu vou ao cinema hoje à noite. (I’m going to the movies tonight.)
2. Tu vais - You go/are going (informal singular)
   • Tu vais encontrar-te com ele mais tarde? (Are you going to meet him later?)
3. Ele/Ela/Você vai - He/She/You go/is going (formal singular)
   • Ele vai para o trabalho de bicicleta. (He goes to work by bike.)
4. Nós vamos - We go/are going
   • Nós vamos à praia no fim de semana. (We’re going to the beach on the weekend.)
5. Vós ides - You go/are going (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Vós ides ao concerto amanhã? (Are you going to the concert tomorrow?)
6. Eles/Elas/Vocês vão - They/You go/are going (plural)
   • Eles vão viajar para o exterior nas férias. (They’re going to travel abroad on vacation.)

Imperfect Indicative Tense

1. Eu ia - I used to go/was going
   • Eu ia à escola de ônibus todos os dias. (I used to go to school by bus every day.)
2. Tu ias - You used to go/were going (informal singular)
   • Tu ias àquela loja com frequência. (You used to go to that store often.)
3. Ele/Ela/Você ia - He/She/You used to go/was going (formal singular)
   • Ele ia ao parque para relaxar. (He used to go to the park to relax.)
4. Nós íamos - We used to go/were going
   • Nós íamos ao cinema todos os sábados. (We used to go to the movies every Saturday.)
5. Vós íeis - You used to go/were going (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Vós íeis à festa de aniversário dela todo ano. (You used to go to her birthday party every year.)
6. Eles/Elas/Vocês iam - They/You used to go/were going (plural)
   • Eles iam à praia durante as férias de verão. (They used to go to the beach during summer vacations.)

Preterite Indicative Tense

1. Eu fui - I went/was
   • Eu fui ao supermercado ontem. (I went to the supermarket yesterday.)
2. Tu foste - You went/were (informal singular)
   • Tu foste ao concerto comigo. (You went to the concert with me.)
3. Ele/Ela/Você foi - He/She/You went/were (formal singular)
   • Ele foi para a Europa no ano passado. (He went to Europe last year.)
4. Nós fomos - We went/were
   • Nós fomos ao parque de diversões no fim de semana passado. (We went to the amusement park last weekend.)
5. Vós fostes - You went/were (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Vós fostes ao teatro na semana passada. (You went to the theater last week.)
6. Eles/Elas/Vocês foram - They/You went/were (plural)
   • Eles foram ao museu durante as férias. (They went to the museum during the vacation.)

Future Indicative Tense

1. Eu irei - I will go/will be going
   • Eu irei ao casamento do meu amigo no próximo mês. (I will go to my friend’s wedding next month.)
2. Tu irás - You will go/will be going (informal singular)
   • Tu irás visitar a família no Natal? (Will you go visit family on Christmas?)
3. Ele/Ela/Você irá - He/She/You will go/will be going (formal singular)
   • Ele irá viajar para o exterior a trabalho. (He will go abroad for work.)
4. Nós iremos - We will go/will be going
   • Nós iremos à praia no verão. (We will go to the beach in the summer.)
5. Vós ireis - You will go/will be going (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Vós ireis ao concerto da banda famosa? (Will you go to the concert of the famous band?)
6. Eles/Elas/Vocês irão - They/You will go/will be going (plural)
   • Eles irão viajar para diferentes países. (They will go travel to different countries.)

Conditional Mood

1. Eu iria - I would go/would be going
   • Eu iria à festa se não estivesse ocupado. (I would go to the party if I weren’t busy.)
2. Tu irias - You would go/would be going (informal singular)
   • Tu irias se tivesses a oportunidade? (Would you go if you had the chance?)
3. Ele/Ela/Você iria - He/She/You would go/would be going (formal singular)
   • Ele iria se fosse convidado. (He would go if he were invited.)
4. Nós iríamos - We would go/would be going
   • Nós iríamos se tivéssemos tempo. (We would go if we had time.)
5. Vós iríeis - You would go/would be going (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Vós iríeis se fosse um evento importante? (Would you go if it were an important event?)
6. Eles/Elas/Vocês iriam - They/You would go/would be going (plural)
   • Eles iriam se recebessem um convite. (They would go if they received an invitation.)

Subjunctive Mood

Present Subjunctive Tense

1. Que eu vá - That I go/may go
   • É importante que eu vá à reunião. (It is important that I go to the meeting.)
2. Que tu vás - That you go/may go (informal singular)
   • Espero que tu vás à festa de aniversário. (I hope you go to the birthday party.)
3. Que ele/ela/você vá - That he/she/you go/may go (formal singular)
   • É necessário que ele vá ao médico. (It is necessary that he goes to the doctor.)
4. Que nós vamos - That we go/may go
   • É melhor que nós vamos logo. (It is better that we go soon.)
5. Que vós ides - That you go/may go (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Não é certo que vós ides sem avisar. (It is not right that you go without notifying.)
6. Que eles/elas/vocês vão - That they/you go/may go (plural)
   • É recomendável que eles vão ao evento. (It is advisable that they go to the event.)

Imperfect Subjunctive Tense

1. Que eu fosse - That I went/were
   • Eu gostaria que eu fosse ao concerto. (I would like it if I went to the concert.)
2. Que tu fosses - That you went/were (informal singular)
   • Seria bom que tu fosses comigo. (It would be good if you went with me.)
3. Que ele/ela/você fosse - That he/she/you went/were (formal singular)
   • Era importante que ele fosse ao evento. (It was important that he went to the event.)
4. Que nós fôssemos - That we went/were
   • Eu preferiria que nós fôssemos juntos. (I would prefer if we went together.)
5. Que vós fôsseis - That you went/were (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Eu desejava que vós fôsseis ao encontro. (I wished that you went to the meeting.)
6. Que eles/elas/vocês fossem - That they/you went/were (plural)
   • Seria bom que eles fossem para lá. (It would be good if they went there.)

Imperative Mood

1. Vai - Go (informal singular)
   • Vai até lá e volta rápido. (Go there and come back quickly.)
2. Vá - Go (formal singular)
   • Vá com cuidado! (Go carefully!)
3. Vamos - Let’s go
   • Vamos explorar a cidade juntos. (Let’s explore the city together.)
4. Ide - Go (informal plural - rarely used)
   • Ide e aproveitai a viagem. (Go and enjoy the trip.)
5. Vão - Go (formal plural)
   • Vão e divirtam-se! (Go and have fun!)

Conclusion

Mastering the conjugations of the verb “ir” is essential for expressing movement, intentions, and aspirations in Portuguese. With its diverse range of conjugations across various tenses and moods, “ir” enables effective communication about physical journeys, future plans, and possibilities. By understanding and practicing the conjugations provided in this guide, you will unlock the ability to navigate conversations and express your desires and aspirations in Portuguese with confidence. So, embark on this linguistic journey and embrace the power of “ir” in your Portuguese language skills.