Kilo Lingo
Portuguese grammar Part of Chapter 2

CEFR A1

3 min read

Test yourself (17 questions)

Ir + Infinitive in Portuguese: Vou Falar, the Everyday Future

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 11 October 2026

Brazilians talk about the future with the present of and a verb in the infinitive: , I'm going to speak. It covers plans, predictions and offers alike, and it is the future to say first. The formal future tense, , is on the future tense page.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake.

The whole system on one screen

the form of irWhat do the colours mean?
PersonExampleEnglish
.I'm going to speak.
/ / .She's going to speak.
a .We're going to speak.
.We're going to speak.
/ .They're going to speak.
tu (EP) .You're going to speak.

Only changes. The second verb stays exactly as the dictionary gives it, so every verb you know is already a future.

How to build it

Subject
ir
Infinitive
Rest
empty
  • . - I'm going to call tomorrow.
  • . - She's going to arrive late.
  • . - You're going to like it.

There is no between the verbs, unlike Spanish voy a hablar, and the second verb never changes for the person: ., never .

Three calendar pages along a time arrow: on the left a grey page torn off the pad and lying tilted behind, showing a football and a tick (yesterday, done); in the middle the page on the pad, glowing yellow and showing an open book (today); on the right a dashed-outline page still to come, showing a bicycle (tomorrow).
  1. .
  2. .

Today's page and tomorrow's: anything still to come, later today or tomorrow, is vou plus the verb exactly as the dictionary gives it.

One future for everything

English chooses between going to and will. Brazilian Portuguese uses + infinitive for nearly all of it:

UseExampleEnglish
a plan .I'm going to travel in July.
a prediction .It's going to rain.
an offer .I'll help you.
a shrug .We'll see.

also means let's: ! - Let's eat!

Negatives: não before ir

goes in front of , never between the two verbs:

Subject
não
ir
Infinitive
  • . - I'm not going to say anything.
  • . - She's not going to come back today.

Pronouns: between the two verbs

In Brazilian speech an object pronoun sits in front of the infinitive it belongs to. attaches it to the end of the infinitive:

VarietyPortugueseEnglish
BR .I'm going to call you tomorrow.
EP - .I'm going to call you tomorrow.
BR .We're going to help you.

EP speech also hangs the pronoun on : - .

Vou ir?

I'm going to go would be , and you will hear it all over Brazil. It is not an error, but careful speakers avoid it, because the present of already does the job:

  • . - I'm going home tomorrow.

Time words that go with it

PortugueseEnglish
tomorrow
later, afterwards
later on
soon, shortly
next week
next year
next year (neater)
  • . - I'm going to come back next week.

is literally the week that comes, and in speech it is more common than .

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
a .no , unlike Spanish
.the second verb stays an infinitive
. goes before
a . takes the form
.correct, but sounds like the news

What to do next

The future with + infinitive is on the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Portuguese specification at Foundation and Higher tier.

  1. Say three plans for the weekend with : , , .
  2. Revise the forms of and a gente, which takes .
  3. When you are ready, the formal future tense, , is the next step.

Practise: test yourself

Put the words in order

0/3

Put the words in order.

  1. I'm going to talk to her.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. I'm not going to do anything.

    Your sentence is empty.

  3. We're going to see. (everyday speech)

    Your sentence is empty.

Complete the story

0/4

Choose the form of ir for each gap.

Saturday's plan

No sábado a gente viajar. Eu dirigir e a Rita ver o mapa. Os meninos dormir no carro.

Gap 1 of 4

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake.

Pick the right one

0/3

Tap the natural Portuguese.

  1. They are going to stay at home.

  2. It's going to rain.

  3. I'm going to call you tomorrow. (Brazil)

Matching

0/4

Match each form of ir to its English.

Chapters 1 and 2 free

This article is one lesson in a whole course

Every grammar point has its own article and drill, and the course wraps them in graded stories, games and printable worksheets, in the order you need them.

Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.

Start learning free

Portuguese · Free printables

Practice worksheets and infographics

Practice worksheets with answer keys built in, plus infographic and listicle formats. Open any one to view, print or save.

Infographics

  1. Key points infographic
  2. The whole system on one screen
  3. One future for everything
  4. Pronouns: between the two verbs
  5. Time words that go with it
  6. Mistakes English speakers make

Other formats

  1. Listicle

More grammar on this course

Frequently asked questions

How do you say going to in Portuguese?
With the present of and an infinitive: , I'm going to speak. The forms of are (), (, , , a ), () and (, ). Unlike Spanish voy a hablar, there is no between the two verbs.
Is + infinitive the same as will?
In everyday Brazilian speech, yes. + infinitive covers plans ( ), predictions ( ) and offers ( ), all the jobs English splits between going to and will. The formal future tense, , is mostly for writing and solemn promises.
Where does go with + infinitive?
In front of : , I'm not going to speak. Never between the two verbs: is wrong.
Can you say in Portuguese?
You will hear all over Brazil, and it is not an error, but careful speakers avoid it because the present already does the job: means I'm going home tomorrow. Say on its own and nobody will blink.
Where does the pronoun go in ?
In Brazilian speech, between the two verbs, in front of the infinitive: , I'm going to call you. attaches it to the end of the infinitive with a hyphen, -, or to : - .