Future with ir- (e.g.: vou falar)

An Overview of the Future with ir

One way to refer to a future action in Portuguese is to use the verb ir (“to go”), e.g.:
Vou estudar amanhã de manhã.

Although this form is sometimes called the “near future,” it is not limited to actions that will happen soon. For example:
Daqui a 100 anos, a vida vai ser muito fácil.

The future with ir is an alternative to the simple future (falarei), and both can be used to describe near or distant future events.

How to Form the Future with ir

The future with ir is formed using the present tense of ir + infinitive:

ir (present) + infinitive

👉 Unlike Spanish, no preposition is used
✔️ vou estudar
❌ vou a estudar

Examples

Simple Future vs Future with ir

Both forms can describe future events:

• Simple future (falarei) → more formal, common in writing

• ir + infinitive (vou falar) → very common in speech

👉 In practice:

• vou falar = more natural in everyday conversation

• falarei = more formal or written style

🧠 Key point

Portuguese does not use a preposition in this structure, unlike Spanish.