How to Talk About Plans in Spanish: Querer, Pensar, and Ir a Explained

To talk about plans in Spanish, use ir a plus a verb for what you will do: voy a viajar en diciembre. Use pensar plus a verb for plans you are considering: pienso estudiar más. Use querer plus a verb for what you want: quiero aprender a cocinar. In Mexico, ir a is the one you will hear most.

In this ultimate guide, we’ll dive deep into how to express plans using three essential verbs: querer, pensar, and ir a. These tools will give you everything you need to describe future intentions, dreams, or even spur-of-the-moment decisions—all in Spanish.

Table of Contents

1. What Are Future Plans in Spanish?
2. Querer + Infinitive
3. Pensar en + Infinitive
4. Ir a + Infinitive
5. Bonus: Future Tense & Other Alternatives
6. Regional Differences: Spain vs. Latin America
7. Pronunciation Tips
8. Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
9. Practice Activities
10. Journaling & Speaking Prompts
11. Wrap-Up & Next Steps

1. What Are Future Plans in Spanish?

In English, we express plans using phrases like:

• “I’m going to study.”
• “I want to travel.”
• “I’m thinking about taking a break.”

Spanish uses similar grammatical structures—but with a few key differences in verb usage and syntax. The main structures we’ll focus on are:

• Querer + Infinitive = to want to do something
• Pensar en + Infinitive = to be thinking about doing something
• Ir a + Infinitive = to be going to do something

2. Querer + Infinitive

Meaning & Use

The verb querer means “to want.” Use this when you’re talking about something you want to do.

Structure: Querer (conjugated) + infinitive

Examples:

• Quiero viajar a Colombia este verano. (I want to travel to Colombia this summer.)
• ¿Qué quieres hacer esta noche? (What do you want to do tonight?)

Present Tense Conjugation of Querer

Subject	Querer
Yo	quiero
Tú	quieres
Él/Ella/Usted	quiere
Nosotros/as	queremos
Vosotros/as	queréis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	quieren

Other Tenses

Preterite (used for past wants that were fulfilled or decided):

• Quise hablar contigo. (I wanted to talk to you.)

Imperfect (ongoing or habitual past wants):

• Quería aprender a bailar salsa. (I wanted to learn salsa dancing.)

Future (formal but less common than “ir a”)

• Querré ayudarte cuando pueda. (I’ll want to help you when I can.)

Mistake to Avoid:

Don’t say: ❌ Me quiero viajar — This implies a reflexive verb. Just say: ✅ Quiero viajar.

3. Pensar en + Infinitive

Meaning & Use

Pensar en means “to think about” doing something—great for tentative or flexible plans.

Structure: Estar + gerund + pensar en + infinitive Pensar + infinitive (used more in Spain for definite intentions)

Examples:

• Estoy pensando en mudarme a otro país. (I’m thinking about moving to another country.)
• Pienso estudiar medicina. (I plan to study medicine.)

Present Tense Conjugation of Pensar

Subject	Pensar
Yo	pienso
Tú	piensas
Él/Ella/Usted	piensa
Nosotros/as	pensamos
Vosotros/as	pensáis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	piensan

Other Tenses

Preterite:

• Pensé en llamarte, pero se me olvidó. (I thought about calling you, but I forgot.)

Imperfect:

• Pensaba en cambiar de trabajo. (I was thinking about changing jobs.)

Cultural Tip:

In Latin America, many speakers drop the “en,” but grammatically it’s more complete and clear with it.

4. Ir a + Infinitive

Meaning & Use

This is the most common way to talk about plans and near-future actions.

Structure: Ir (conjugated) + a + infinitive

Examples:

• Voy a cocinar esta noche. (I’m going to cook tonight.)
• ¿Vas a ir al cine mañana? (Are you going to the movies tomorrow?)

Present Tense Conjugation of Ir

Subject	Ir
Yo	voy
Tú	vas
Él/Ella/Usted	va
Nosotros/as	vamos
Vosotros/as	vais
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	van

Other Tenses

Imperfect:

• Íbamos a viajar, pero cancelaron el vuelo. (We were going to travel, but they canceled the flight.)

Future: Rarely used with ir a, but possible for longer-term certainty.

• Iremos a Europa en dos años. (We will go to Europe in two years.)

5. Bonus: Other Ways to Talk About Future Plans

Using the Simple Future

Future tense conjugation of verbs also works for plans, though it can sound more formal or definite.

• Estudiaré más el próximo año. (I will study more next year.)

Using Subjunctive for Uncertainty

• Ojalá pueda viajar pronto. (Hopefully I can travel soon.)
• Es posible que cambiemos de casa. (It’s possible that we move.)

6. Regional Differences

• In Spain, you’ll hear pensar + infinitive more commonly.
• In Latin America, pensar en + infinitive is more common (sometimes dropping “en”).
• “Querer” tends to carry emotional weight everywhere—it’s more than just a plan; it’s a desire.

7. Pronunciation Tips

• Quiero = kee-eh-roh (watch the soft “ie”)
• Pensar = pehn-sar (soft “e”)
• Voy a = boy ah (blended quickly in speech)

Practice saying these aloud slowly, then speed up naturally.

8. Common Mistakes

Mistake	Correction	Why?
Me quiero viajar	Quiero viajar	“Me” not needed unless it’s a reflexive verb
Estoy pensando mudarme	Estoy pensando en mudarme	Missing “en”
Vamos visitar	Vamos a visitar	Always use “a” after “ir”

9. Practice Activities

Translate:

1. I want to start a business next year.
2. We’re going to move soon.
3. She’s thinking about studying architecture.

Fill in the Blank:

1. Yo ______ a viajar este verano. (voy/pensar/quiero)
2. ¿Qué ______ hacer este fin de semana? (piensas/vas/quieres)
3. Ellos están ______ en cambiar de ciudad. (piensan/pensando/pensar)

Create Your Own

Write 3 sentences:

• One with querer
• One with pensar en
• One with ir a

10. Journaling & Speaking Prompts

• ¿Qué quieres hacer este mes?
• ¿Estás pensando en cambiar algo en tu vida?
• ¿A dónde vas a ir en tus próximas vacaciones?

11. Wrap-Up: Mastering Future Intentions

Talking about your plans in Spanish is essential for real-life conversations. With these tools, you can:

• Set goals
• Make plans
• Share dreams
• Express intentions with clarity and confidence

Keep practicing. Try journaling your weekly goals in Spanish or talking with a tutor or friend. Soon, expressing your future plans will feel second nature.

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If you want to learn more Spanish, don’t miss the last blog “Future Tense in Spanish: How to Talk About Upcoming Plans“.

Pick the right one without thinking about it

Knowing all three is easy. Choosing between them mid-sentence takes practice with someone listening. Book a free Spanish Roadmap Session and we’ll see which one you default to. Or see conversational Spanish coaching.