Starting an Action with 'anar a'

01

Conjugating 'Anar' in the Present Tense

To use this structure, you must know the present tense conjugation of the verb anar.

• jo vaig - I go
• tu vas - you go (singular, informal)
• ell/ella/vostè va - he/she/you (formal) go(es)
• nosaltres anem - we go
• vosaltres aneu - you go (plural)
• ells/elles/vostès van - they/you (plural, formal) go

• Vaig a llegir un llibre.

  I am going to read a book.

• Què aneu a fer aquest cap de setmana?

  What are you (all) going to do this weekend?

02

Usage: Immediate Actions and Plans

This construction is primarily used to express intentions, plans, or actions that will happen in the near future. It implies a degree of certainty or that a decision has already been made.

• Anem a sopar a casa dels meus pares.

  We are going to have dinner at my parents' house.

• La Laia va a trucar a la seva àvia més tard.

  Laia is going to call her grandmother later.

• Demà van a pintar la paret de blanc.

  Tomorrow they are going to paint the wall white.

03

Forming Negative Sentences

To make the sentence negative, place the word no directly before the conjugated form of anar.

• No vaig a dir res.

  I'm not going to say anything.

• Avui no anem a sortir, estem cansats.

  We are not going to go out today, we are tired.

04

'Anar a' vs. the Simple Future Tense

While both forms refer to the future, anar a + infinitive is more common in spoken Catalan for near-future, concrete plans. The simple future tense (e.g., menjaré, parlaràs) is often used for more distant future events, predictions, or in more formal writing.

• Aquesta tarda vaig al metge.

  This afternoon I'm going to the doctor. (A definite, near-future plan)

• D'aquí a deu anys, viuré a la muntanya.

  In ten years, I will live in the mountains. (A more distant or hypothetical future)