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In this edition:
talking about
the future
Lesson 51
Notes
¡Este año voy a ponerme en forma!
New Year Resolutions
Programme Notes
Coffee Break Spanish notes guide you through the content of each lesson. This lesson introduces a
new concept: talking about the future within the context of New Year Resolutions.
Talking about the future
One way of talking about the future in Spanish involves saying what you’re “going to do”. This
construction uses part of the verb ir combined with the word a and this is followed by an infinitive.
Before we consider the construction in full, let’s remind ourselves about the conjugation of ir.
ir - to go
voy
vamos
vas
vais
va
van
Consider the following examples:
voy a bailar
I am going to dance
vamos a cantar
we are going to sing
van a cenar
they / you (plural, formal) are going to eat
Note that although the infinitive is translated as “to sing”, “to dance”, etc., it is still necessary to use
the word a to convey the meaning of something that is going to happen in the future. It’s also
important to point out that this is not the “future tense”. There is a future tense in Spanish which is
formed differently. However, for the time being this construction allows us to talk about things
which are going to happen at some point in the future. In some grammar books you may find this
tense referred to as the “immediate future”.
Coffee Break Spanish: Lesson 51
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New Year Resolutions
The phrase for “New Year Resolutions” in Spanish is los buenos propósitos. This does not translate
exactly the concept of “resolutions”, but it’s how Spanish speakers talk about the decisions they’ve
made for the New Year.
To ask someone if they have made resolutions, you could say:
¿tienes buenos propósitos para este año?
do you have (New Year) resolutions for this year?
Using the construction we’ve covered in this lesson, you could add:
¿qué vas a hacer en 2008?
what are you going to do in 2008?
You can find below a list of vocabulary for New Year Resolutions, including some bonus items not
covered in the main podcast.
Vocabulary
ahorrar
to save
el dinero
money
voy a ahorrar dinero
I’m going to save money
el ejercicio
exercise
hacer
to do
voy a hacer más ejercicio
I’m going to do more exercise
aprender
to learn
voy a aprender más español
I’m going to learn more Spanish
voy a estudiar más
I’m going to study more
fumar
to smoke
dejar de + infinitive
to stop (doing something)
voy a dejar de fumar
I’m going to stop smoking
demasiado
too much
voy a dejar de comer demasiado
I’m going to stop eating too much
voy a dedicar más tiempo a mi familia
I’m going to spend more time with my
family
voy a mejorar mi español
I’m going to improve my Spanish
voy a ponerme en forma
I’m going to get fit
A word about reflexive verbs in this construction
Note that when you use reflexive verbs you can choose where to put your reflexive pronoun. Look
at the alternatives below and consider carefully the location of the reflexive pronoun:
Coffee Break Spanish: Lesson 51
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voy a ducharme
I’m going to have a shower
me voy a duchar
I’m going to have a shower
Both phrases mean exactly the same thing, but you have the option of bringing the reflexive
pronoun (in this example, me) to the front of the phrase. If you leave it at the end it has to attach
itself to the infinitive.
Equally, note that the reflexive pronoun (wherever it is!) has to agree with the subject of the verb.
Consider the entire conjugation of levantarse using this construction:
levantarse - to get up
voy a levantarme
me voy a levantar
vamos a levantarnos
nos vamos a levantar
vas a levantarte
te vas a levantar
vais a levantaros
os vais a levantar
va a levantarse
se va a levantar
van a levantarse
se van a levantar
You may find that one or other of these constructions is used more in the area you’re familiar with.
Examples from the Bonus Podcast
The following examples were used in the bonus podcast and we have provided the items as
vocabulary for your convenience.
You may find that one or other of these constructions is used more in the area you’re familiar with.
Vocabulary
bailar en la discoteca
to dance in the disco / club
enviar una tarjeta postal a mi madre
to send a postcard to my mother
escribir una carta
to write a letter
jugar al golf
to play at golf
pasar una semana de vacaciones en
Mallorca
to spend a week of holidays in Mallorca
comprar un ordenador
to buy a computer
leer un libro
to read a book
dar una fiesta
to have/throw a party
hacer mis deberes / tareas
to do my homework
Coffee Break Spanish: Lesson 51
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