Ir Conjugation in Portuguese
ir means “to go” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 7 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It is the verb of movement, and it also appears in expressions for how things are going and in the near future with the infinitive. It shares its pretérito perfeito — fui, foste, foi, fomos, fostes, foram — with ser, so context tells you whether fui means “I went” or “I was”. Its present is irregular in every person except nós and vós: vou, vais, vai, vamos, ides, vão. This page gives you the complete conjugation of ir — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Eu vou à escola todos os dias.” — “I go to school.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: ir
- English: to go
- Verb type: Irregular -ir verb
- Irregular in: presente, pretérito perfeito, pretérito imperfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo
- Gerund: indo
- Present participle: —
- Past participle: ido
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -ir verbs; pattern ir in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for ir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read ir in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about ir
- It is irregular in 9 tense(s): presente, pretérito perfeito, pretérito imperfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo. Learn those forms as a set instead of guessing them from the infinitive, because the stem changes in ways no rule predicts.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle ido. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is indo and the past participle is ido: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. There is no present participle form listed for this verb in the verified tables. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for ir. Learn the present tense first, then the pretérito perfeito and the pretérito imperfeito, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | vou |
| tu | vais |
| ele/ela | vai |
| nós | vamos |
| vós | ides |
| eles/elas | vão |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu vou à escola todos os dias.” — “I go to school”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | fui |
| tu | foste |
| ele/ela | foi |
| nós | fomos |
| vós | fostes |
| eles/elas | foram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu fui à escola ontem.” — “I went to school”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | ia |
| tu | ias |
| ele/ela | ia |
| nós | íamos |
| vós | íeis |
| eles/elas | iam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu ia à escola antigamente.” — “I used to go to school”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | fora |
| tu | foras |
| ele/ela | fora |
| nós | fôramos |
| vós | fôreis |
| eles/elas | foram |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples is used for an action completed before another past action; in everyday speech the compound form with tinha is more common. For example: “Eu fora à escola antes do jantar.” — “I had gone to school”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | irei |
| tu | irás |
| ele/ela | irá |
| nós | iremos |
| vós | ireis |
| eles/elas | irão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu irei à escola amanhã.” — “I will go to school”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | iria |
| tu | irias |
| ele/ela | iria |
| nós | iríamos |
| vós | iríeis |
| eles/elas | iriam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu iria à escola um dia.” — “I would go to school”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho ido |
| tu | tens ido |
| ele/ela | tem ido |
| nós | temos ido |
| vós | tendes ido |
| eles/elas | têm ido |
The pretérito perfeito composto is used for actions that started in the past and continue, or have been repeated, up to the present. For example: “Ele tem ido à escola esta semana.” — “He has gone to school”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha ido |
| tu | tinhas ido |
| ele/ela | tinha ido |
| nós | tínhamos ido |
| vós | tínheis ido |
| eles/elas | tinham ido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha ido à escola antes do jantar.” — “I had gone to school”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei ido |
| tu | terás ido |
| ele/ela | terá ido |
| nós | teremos ido |
| vós | tereis ido |
| eles/elas | terão ido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei ido à escola até amanhã.” — “I will have gone to school”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria ido |
| tu | terias ido |
| ele/ela | teria ido |
| nós | teríamos ido |
| vós | teríeis ido |
| eles/elas | teriam ido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria ido à escola ontem.” — “I would have gone to school”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | vá |
| tu | vás |
| ele/ela | vá |
| nós | vamos |
| vós | vades |
| eles/elas | vão |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu vá à escola.” — “It is important that I go to school”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | fosse |
| tu | fosses |
| ele/ela | fosse |
| nós | fôssemos |
| vós | fôsseis |
| eles/elas | fossem |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after que, and in se-clauses. For example: “Era importante que eu fosse à escola.” — “It was important that I go to school”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | for |
| tu | fores |
| ele/ela | for |
| nós | formos |
| vós | fordes |
| eles/elas | forem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu for à escola, é bom.” — “If I go to school, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | vai |
| ele/ela | vá |
| nós | vamos |
| vós | ide |
| eles/elas | vão |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Vai à escola!” — “Go to school!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não vás |
| ele/ela | não vá |
| nós | não vamos |
| vós | não vades |
| eles/elas | não vão |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não vás à escola.” — “Do not go to school.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha ido |
| tu | tenhas ido |
| ele/ela | tenha ido |
| nós | tenhamos ido |
| vós | tenhais ido |
| eles/elas | tenham ido |
The presente do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a subordinate clause expressing doubt, wish or emotion. For example: “É importante que eu tenha ido à escola.” — “It is important that I have gone to school”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse ido |
| tu | tivesses ido |
| ele/ela | tivesse ido |
| nós | tivéssemos ido |
| vós | tivésseis ido |
| eles/elas | tivessem ido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse ido à escola.” — “It was important that I had gone to school”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver ido |
| tu | tiveres ido |
| ele/ela | tiver ido |
| nós | tivermos ido |
| vós | tiverdes ido |
| eles/elas | tiverem ido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver ido à escola, é bom.” — “If I have gone to school, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | indo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Indo à escola, aprendo muito.” — “While going to school, I learn a lot.”
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | ido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho ido à escola esta semana.” — “I have gone to school.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with ir, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu vou à escola todos os dias.” — “I go to school”
- “Tu foste à escola ontem.” — “You went to school”
- “Ele ia à escola antigamente.” — “He used to go to school”
- “Eu irei à escola amanhã.” — “I will go to school”
- “Tu irias à escola um dia.” — “You would go to school”
- “Ele tem ido à escola esta semana.” — “He has gone to school”
- “Eu tinha ido à escola antes do jantar.” — “I had gone to school”
- “Tu terás ido à escola até amanhã.” — “You will have gone to school”
- “É importante que eu vá à escola.” — “It is important that I go to school”
- “Vai à escola!” — “Go to school!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu ir à escola.”
✓ Right: “Eu vou à escola todos os dias.”
The infinitive ir never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form vou.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu vais à escola.”
✓ Right: “Eu vou à escola todos os dias.”
vais is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with vou.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu vou à escola ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu fui à escola ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito fui for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou ido à escola.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho ido à escola esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of ir is formed with ter plus the past participle ido: the eu form is tenho ido. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “É importante que eu vou à escola.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu vá à escola.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use vá here, not the indicative vou.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho indo à escola.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho ido à escola esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle ido, not the gerund indo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on ir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of ir in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) vais
- B) vou
- C) vai
- D) vamos
What is the ele/ela form of ir in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) fui
- B) foste
- C) foi
- D) fomos
What is the nós form of ir in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) ia
- B) ias
- C) íeis
- D) íamos
What is the tu form of ir in the Futuro do presente?
- A) irás
- B) irei
- C) irá
- D) iremos
What is the eu form of ir in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) irias
- B) iria
- C) iríamos
- D) iríeis
What is the ele/ela form of ir in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho ido
- B) tens ido
- C) tem ido
- D) temos ido
What is the ele/ela form of ir in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) vás
- B) vamos
- C) vades
- D) vá
What is the eu form of ir in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) fosse
- B) fosses
- C) fôssemos
- D) fôsseis
What is the gerund of ir?
- A) ido
- B) indo
- C) ir
- D) vou
What does ir mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to go
- D) —
Answer key
- B) vou — the correct form is vou. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) foi — the correct form is foi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) íamos — the correct form is íamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) irás — the correct form is irás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) iria — the correct form is iria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem ido — the correct form is tem ido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) vá — the correct form is vá. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) fosse — the correct form is fosse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) indo — the correct form is indo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to go — the correct form is to go. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does ir mean in English?
ir means “to go”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is ir regular or irregular?
ir is irregular: it is irregular in presente, pretérito perfeito, pretérito imperfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo. The gerund is indo and the past participle is ido.
What are the gerund and past participle of ir?
The gerund is indo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is ido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho ido.
Which auxiliary does ir take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
ir takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho ido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle ido.
How do I say “I go” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu vou à escola todos os dias.” — “I go to school” The eu form of the present is vou, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of ir — every tense of ir in one place.
- Ir in the pretérito perfeito tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Ir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese pretérito perfeito tense guide — the full guide to the pretérito perfeito tense in Portuguese.
- Portuguese irregular verbs — every common irregular Portuguese verb, grouped by pattern.
- Vir conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Dormir conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise ir with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise ir with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise ir with the interactive tool.