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Video lesson

Ir y venir

Duration: 4:06 Published: 30 Jul 2017

Bárbara, from Freiburg, runs two language schools, one in Freiburg and one in London, so she is always yendo y viniendo. With her, Pilar practises the verbs ir and venir.

Learn the difference between these too often confused words, "ir" y "venir", with this free Spanish lesson brought to you by Tilde Madrid Spanish school in Madrid

Key points

  • Ir is moving from here to there (to go); venir is moving from there to here (to come).
  • The key is where the speaker is: in Madrid, Bárbara says He venido tres veces a España.
  • For places away from where you are, use ir: Planeo ir a Londres en noviembre.
  • Llevar and traer follow the same logic, and they are the topic of another video.

Frequent doubts

Why do Spanish speakers say ¡ya voy! when someone calls them?

Because in Spanish the reference is the speaker's position: you go (ir) towards the other person. English says I'm coming, but Spanish says ¡Ya voy!

What does yendo y viniendo mean?

Going back and forth, always travelling: Siempre anda yendo y viniendo de aquí para allá. Yendo is the gerund of ir.

Why ¿quieres venir conmigo? with venir?

Because the speaker invites the other person to come to where he or she will be. With venir, the movement is always towards the speaker.

Part of Spanish Sessions, the YouTube channel of the teachers at Tilde Madrid — more than 3 million views.

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