yo iba

was going, was going to

ˈi b a → ir
ib Imperfect + a I/he/she imperfect
verb · first singular · imperfect indicative Very common #1,454
was going Imperfect past form of "ir"; it describes an ongoing/habitual action in the past.
SP: Yo iba al trabajo en metro todos los días.
EN: I used to go to work by subway every day.
Conjugation of ir
SingularPlural
First — irnos
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First iba íbamos
Second ibas —
Third iba iban
Subjunctive imperfect
SingularPlural
First iba íbamos
Second ibas —
Third iba iban

Me dejé atrapar cuando iba muy rápido.

I got caught when I was going really fast.

— Taxi Express (1998)

Cuidaba de los conejos cuando iba al colegio.

She used to look after the rabbits when she went to school.

El avión en el que iba Tom se estrelló.

The plane Tom was on crashed.

Esta es una foto del tren en el que iba Skura.

This is a photo of the train Skura was on.

Iba yo solo a mirar las estrellas.

I was just going to look at the stars by myself.

— Tigre y dragón (2000)

Me iba a la cama a las diez cuando iba al colegio.

I used to go to bed at ten when I went to school.

Siempre que iba al servicio se llevaba un tebeo de Mortadelo y Filemón.

Whenever he went to the bathroom, he took a Mortadelo and Filemón comic book with him.

Ya me iba.

I was leaving.

— Corre Lola, corre (1998)

Había pagado el primer plazo de la casa y todo iba como la seda.

I had paid the first installment on the house and everything was going smoothly.

— Uno de los nuestros (1990)

Iba a exceso de velocidad.

He was speeding.

Demasiadas, iba contra el protocolo.

Too many; it went against protocol.

— Oppenheimer (2023)

Como iba sin billete en el metro, tuve que pagar el doble a la salida.

Since I didn't have a ticket on the subway, I had to pay double when I left.

Un helicóptero iba en círculos por sobre nosotros.

A helicopter was circling above us.

Él iba de un lado para otro en la habitación.

He was pacing back and forth in the room.

Cuando iba a la escuela, vi a mi tío.

When I was going to school, I saw my uncle.

Ya no iba nadie.

Nobody was going there anymore.

— Cinema Paradiso (1988)

El río iba crecido por las lluvias de los últimos días.

The river was swollen due to the rains of the last few days.

Si Mei iba al hospital, se habrá perdido.

If Mei went to the hospital, she must have gotten lost.

— Mi vecino Totoro (1988)

Ha dicho que no iba en el coche.

He said he wasn't in the car.

— State and Main (2000)

Le daban dinero siempre que iba a verlos.

They gave him money whenever he went to see them.

— Un asunto de familia (2018)

La chica no iba en el coche.

The girl was not in the car.

— State and Main (2000)

Iba al baño.

I was going to the bathroom.

— Carandiru (2003)

Iba a la escuela con la mía.

I used to go to school with mine.

— Naturaleza muerta (2006)

El taxi parecía que iba tan lento como un caracol.

The taxi seemed to be going as slowly as a snail.

Tom se topó con Mary cuando iba a la escuela.

Tom bumped into Mary on his way to school.

Iba de camino al colegio.

I was on my way to school.

Pensé que iba más rápido.

I thought it was going faster.

— La princesa prometida (1987)

Ella iba de lugar en lugar buscándolo.

She went from place to place looking for him.

Ahora, en aquel tiempo aunque yo siempre iba corriendo.

Now, at that time although I was always running.

Iba en coche.

I was in a car.

Ella iba vestida de negro.

She was dressed in black.

El socialista iba acompañado de una intérprete.

The socialist was accompanied by an interpreter.

Iba incluido con el billete.

It was included with the ticket.

— El salario del miedo (1953)

Y todo iba relativamente bien.

And everything was going relatively well.

— Jugada maestra (2026)

Yo iba a menudo a ver películas con mi padre.

I often went to see movies with my father.

Dijo que el entrenamiento iba bien.

He said the training was going well.

— Dangal (2016)

Iba a cualquier clase que le gustaba.

He/She would go to any class he/she liked.

— 3 Idiots (2009)

Iba sonriendo por la calle como si nada malo pudiera pasarle.

She was walking down the street smiling as if nothing bad could happen to her.

Cuando era joven, me iba caminando al colegio.

When I was young, I used to walk to school.

Cuando niño iba a menudo a pescar con mi padre.

As a child, I often went fishing with my father.

Iba a pie.

I was on foot.

Yo iba en el asiento trasero de la camioneta de mi mamá.

I was in the back seat of my mom's truck.

— Sin conexión (2025)

Sí, y el Gobernador iba loco por ella.

Yes, and the Governor was crazy about her.

— Cuentos de Tokio (1953)

No, al que iba tras él en Connaught Place.

No, the one who was following him in Connaught Place.

— Dil se.. (1998)

La mamá se quedó en el coche mientras papá iba de compras.

Mom stayed in the car while Dad went shopping.

Soñé que iba desnudo a clase.

I dreamt I was going to class naked.

No iba en el coche.

I wasn't in the car.

— State and Main (2000)

Era la primera vez que iba al extranjero.

It was the first time he had gone abroad.

Siempre iba ocho movimientos por delante.

He was always eight moves ahead.

— Cónclave (2024)

Anoche no me iba muy bien.

I wasn't doing very well last night.

— Perdición (1944)

Cada vez que iba a verle, lo encontraba en el trabajo.

Every time I went to see him, I found him at work.

Me encontré con Yoko cuando iba al teatro.

I met Yoko when I was going to the theater.

Sí, cuando su esposo estaba vivo, iba a menudo.

Yes, when her husband was alive, she used to go often.

— Fue la mano de Dios (2021)

Probablemente iba al Hospital Shichikoku-yama.

He was probably going to Shichikoku-yama Hospital.

— Mi vecino Totoro (1988)

A eso iba.

That's what I was getting at.

Él iba borracho y olvidó cerrar la puerta trasera.

He was drunk and forgot to close the back door.

La pobre Pat iba detrás de él.

Poor Pat was following behind him.

— Suspiria (1977)

Toma iba en esa dirección.

Toma was going in that direction.

Le dijo a su esposa que iba al baño y vino aquí a pedir dinero.

He told his wife he was going to the bathroom and came here to ask for money.

— P.K. (Peekay) (2014)

Me había dicho que le iba bien, pero no podía imaginarme esto.

They’d told me things were going well, but I couldn’t have imagined this.

— Volver (2006)

Cuando era niño, iba a la iglesia todos los domingos.

When I was a child, I went to church every Sunday.

Creo que iba con su personalidad meticulosa.

I think it suited his meticulous personality.

— Cadena perpetua (1994)

Tranquilo, ya me iba.

Don't worry, I was just leaving.

— El club de la lucha (1999)

Todo iba estupendo.

Everything was going great.

No me iba bien.

Things weren't going well for me.

— Deseando amar (2000)

Ella dijo que llamaría a la policía si no me iba.

She said she would call the police if I didn’t leave.

Por la carretera iba un carro de mulas.

A mule cart was traveling along the road.

El coche iba a toda velocidad por la autopista sin respetar los límites.

The car was speeding on the highway without respecting the limits.

Iba a la misma escuela que mi hermano, así que nos habíamos visto varias veces.

I went to the same school as my brother, so we had seen each other several times.

— Deseo, peligro (2007)

Alguien más iba con ella.

Someone else was with her.

— Contratiempo (2017)

No, ahora iba a mi mesa.

No, I was going to my table now.

— American Gangster (2007)

Iba de rosa.

She was wearing pink.

Chocó contra mi auto, y esta rata iba al volante.

He crashed into my car, and this rat was driving.

— The Chaser (2008)

Ella iba por la calle cuando empezó a llover de repente.

She was walking down the street when it suddenly started to rain.

No tuve tiempo, iba muy rápido.

I didn't have time; it was moving very fast.

— Taxi Express (1998)

Iba a casa de mis tíos, no a Francia.

I was going to my aunt and uncle's house, not to France.

— Solo en casa (1990)

Iba en ese avión.

I was on that plane.

— Hermano 2 (2000)

Pero ¿cómo supo que iba a la casa de mi abuelo?

But how did he know I was going to my grandfather's house?

— El gran diluvio (2025)

Ella volvió justo cuando yo ya me iba.

She came back just as I was leaving.

Él era bienvenido a dondequiera que iba.

He was welcome wherever he went.

El tren iba lleno.

The train was full.

De niña, siempre iba buscando algo.

As a child, I was always looking for something.

— Black (2005)

La conozco desde que iba en pañales.

I've known her since she was in diapers.

Vi a mi tío cuando iba a la escuela.

I saw my uncle when I was going to school.

Iba por ahí, haciendo Seo-ri todo el tiempo.

I was going around, doing Seo-ri all the time.

— The Host (2006)

Dijo que iba a su casa.

He said he was going home.

— Un día de furia (1993)

Él trató de averiguar contra qué iba.

He tried to find out what she was up against.

Iba vestida de negro porque tenía un funeral esa misma tarde.

She was dressed in black because she had a funeral to attend that afternoon.

Que esa misma noche me iba.

That I was leaving that very night.

— Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Fred seguía a mi madre a dondequiera que iba.

Fred followed my mother everywhere she went.

Vi un pájaro blanco cuando iba de camino a casa.

I saw a white bird on my way home.

Tom iba al gimnasio tres días a la semana.

Tom went to the gym three days a week.

Pensé que el metro era gratis e iba sin billete.

I thought the subway was free and I went without a ticket.

Carla iba en el coche, ¿no?

Carla was in the car, wasn't she?

— State and Main (2000)

Él casi nunca iba allí.

He almost never went there.

Cuando salió hacia la colina, parecía que iba de paseo.

When he set off towards the hill, he looked like he was going for a stroll.

— Los siete samuráis (1954)

Él iba a menudo a pescar al río.

He often went fishing in the river.

Le he dicho a caballo para que quedara mejor, pero iba en mula.

I said he was on horseback to make it sound better, but he was actually on a mule.

— Las diabólicas (1955)

Él me dijo que iba a Italia.

He told me he was going to Italy.

El auto iba lleno de tártaros.

The car was full of tartar.

Yo ya me iba.

I was already leaving.

Cuando iba a dormirme vi caer una sábana.

As I was about to go to sleep, I saw a sheet fall.

— La doble vida de Verónica (1991)

Usted iba en ese coche con esa mujer que no se llama Raquel.

You were in that car with that woman whose name is not Raquel.

— Contratiempo (2017)

Ella está exactamente igual a cuando iba al colegio.

She looks exactly the same as when she was in school.

También iba al gimnasio, a veces.

I also went to the gym, sometimes.

— A primera vista (2014)

Dice que no iba en el coche.

He says he wasn't in the car.

— State and Main (2000)

Iba acompañado por su mujer.

He was accompanied by his wife.

La niebla era tan espesa que no veía por donde iba.

The fog was so thick that I couldn’t see where I was going.

Iba de camino a tu casa cuando me llamaste por teléfono.

I was on my way to your house when you called me on the phone.

Ella iba con él.

She was with him.

Ella a menudo iba al teatro cuando estaba en Londres.

She often went to the theatre when she was in London.

No me fijé en cómo ella iba vestida.

I didn't notice how she was dressed.

Iba en bata.

She was wearing a bathrobe.

— Mystic River (2003)

El negocio iba mal, así que hice algunos arreglos.

The business was doing poorly, so I made some adjustments.

— Secret Sunshine (2007)

Acababa de empezar la carrera y ya iba por otro camino.

The race had just started and I was already going down a different path.

— Tropa de élite (2007)

Ella iba todos los días a verlo al hospital.

She went to see him at the hospital every day.

El socialista iba acompañado de un traductor.

The socialist was accompanied by a translator.

Iba hacia mi coche cuando se me acerca un tío y me pide fuego.

I was walking towards my car when a guy approached me and asked me for a light.

— Mystic River (2003)

De niño iba cada verano a la playa.

As a child, I went to the beach every summer.

La panadería iba muy bien.

The bakery was doing very well.

— El médico de Budapest (2020)

Iba a menudo a pescar con él.

I often went fishing with him.

Yo iba a la Universidad del Este de Carolina.

I went to East Carolina University.

— La gran enfermedad del amor (2017)

Ella no iba en el coche, dilo.

She wasn't in the car, say it.

— State and Main (2000)

Dijo que si iba contigo, sería una aventura.

He said that if he went with you, it would be an adventure.

— Buena suerte, pásalo bien, no mueras (2026)

Su hermana era muy tímida y se escapaba cuando yo iba.

His sister was very shy and would run away when I visited.

— Thirst (2009)

El Club de la Lucha no iba de ganar o perder.

Fight Club wasn't about winning or losing.

— El club de la lucha (1999)

Iba por otro sitio.

I was going somewhere else.

Cuando era joven, me iba al colegio caminando.

When I was young, I used to walk to school.

Yo iba andando.

I was walking.

— Hermano 2 (2000)

Él llegó justo cuando me iba.

He arrived just as I was leaving.

Tom iba a caballo por el bosque.

Tom was riding his horse through the forest.

No es el hombre que iba en el tren.

He is not the man who was on the train.

— Perdición (1944)

El perro iba detrás de ella a todas partes sin perderla de vista.

The dog followed her everywhere, never losing sight of her.

Siempre iba al mismo café después del trabajo a leer el periódico.

He always went to the same cafe after work to read the newspaper.

Nemesio siempre iba de aquí para allá cabalgando sobre una ardilla.

Nemesio always went from here to there riding on a squirrel.

La chica iba en el coche.

The girl was in the car.

— State and Main (2000)

Un amigo mío iba en esa nave.

A friend of mine was on that ship.

Ya casi me iba.

I was just about to leave.

— La diva (1981)

Sólo soy un oficial administrativo que iba a mi casa.

I'm just an administrative officer who was on my way home.

— Jungla de cristal (1988)

Adondequiera que iba, él se perdía.

Wherever he went, he got lost.

Allá adonde iba, sentía que ya había estado.

Wherever I went, I felt like I had already been there.

— El club de la lucha (1999)

Lo han traído siete mulas e iba encadenado.

He was brought by seven mules and was in chains.

— Quieto, muere, resucita (1990)

El tiempo iba de mal en peor.

The weather was going from bad to worse.

Nada, nada, ya me iba.

Nothing, nothing, I was just leaving.

— Hable con ella (2002)

Te pareces a alguien con quien iba al instituto.

You look like someone I went to high school with.

Iba al colegio con su hermana todas las mañanas desde que eran pequeñas.

She went to school with her sister every morning since they were little.

Iba a la farmacia.

I was going to the pharmacy.

— La dolce vita (1960)

Además, no iba sola.

Besides, she wasn't alone.

— Contratiempo (2017)

Y también iba a caballo.

And I also used to ride a horse.

— Las diabólicas (1955)

A menudo iba a esquiar en el invierno.

He often went skiing in the winter.

Iba de camino al trabajo y vi tu auto.

I was on my way to work and I saw your car.

— Burning (2018)

Ella iba de rosa.

She was wearing pink.

Escribí esto en un momento en que todo iba mal.

I wrote this at a time when everything was going wrong.

— Gully Boy (2019)

Mi hermano va a la misma escuela a la que iba yo.

My brother goes to the same school I used to go to.

Iba a casa de Yves después de clase.

I used to go to Yves's house after class.

— Caché (Escondido) (2005)

Le iba bien.

He was doing well.

Cuando me acerqué a él, noté que algo iba mal.

When I approached him, I noticed that something was wrong.

— Solaris (1972)

Iba en el autobús cuando se dio cuenta de que había olvidado las llaves.

He was on the bus when he realized he had forgotten his keys.

El tren iba despacio porque había obras en la vía principal.

The train was going slowly because there was construction work on the main track.

Iba pensando en sus cosas cuando tropezó con la piedra del camino.

He was thinking about his own things when he tripped over a stone in the road.

A menudo él iba a pescar los domingos.

He often went fishing on Sundays.

Con eso, me iba al abismo.

With that, I was heading into the abyss.

— La diva (1981)

Iba un año antes que el mío.

He was a year ahead of me.

— Broker (2022)

Yo iba por otra.

I was going for another one.

— La linterna roja (1991)

Tom no miró hacia donde iba.

Tom didn't look where he was going.

Tom iba al cine cada semana.

Tom went to the movies every week.

Generalmente yo iba al cine los domingos.

I usually went to the movies on Sundays.

Tom preguntó a Mary cómo le iba a John.

Tom asked Mary how John was doing.

Cuando tenía tu edad, yo iba y volvía al colegio en bicicleta todos los días.

When I was your age, I used to cycle to and from school every day.

El barco iba hacia el norte siguiendo la corriente del río.

The boat was heading north, following the river current.

No iba tan mal.

It wasn't so bad.

— Scary Movie (2000)

Como iba con prisa, tuve que tomar un taxi.

Since I was in a hurry, I had to take a taxi.

Cada vez que iba al servicio se llevaba un tebeo de Mortadelo y Filemón.

Every time he went to the bathroom, he took a Mortadelo and Filemón comic book with him.

Él dijo que no iba a la fiesta porque tenía que estudiar.

He said he wasn’t going to the party because he had to study.

Sea como sea, iba en contra de mis principios.

Either way, it went against my principles.

— स्वदेस (2004)

La abuela iba en serio.

Grandma was serious.

— El botín (2026)

Cuando me fui a Barcelona, iba embarazada de tí.

When I went to Barcelona, ​​I was pregnant with you.

— Todo sobre mi madre (1999)

El perro le seguía allá donde iba.

The dog followed him wherever he went.

Su explicación iba más allá de mi comprensión.

His explanation was beyond my understanding.

Cuando era niño, iba mucho a pescar al río con mi hermano.

When I was a child, I used to go fishing a lot in the river with my brother.

Todo iba tan bien.

Everything was going so well.

Iba caminando tranquilamente cuando me encontré un billete en el suelo.

I was walking peacefully when I found a banknote on the ground.

Ella dijo que llamaría a la policía si yo no me iba.

She said she would call the police if I didn't leave.

Ella iba bien vestida.

She was well dressed.

El coche iba hacia adelante.

The car was moving forward.

La conversación iba bien hasta que sacó el tema de la herencia.

The conversation was going well until he brought up the topic of inheritance.

Iba a la tienda a comprar pan cuando se cerró por la huelga.

I was going to the store to buy bread when it closed due to the strike.

El policía agarró al hombre que iba corriendo.

The police officer grabbed the man who was running.

Iba dirigida a mí sin ninguna nota.

It was addressed to me, without any note.

— Caché (Escondido) (2005)

Ella iba todos los días a misa.

She went to mass every day.

Iba escrito en el coche.

It was written on the car.

— La doble vida de Verónica (1991)

El negocio te iba bien, ¿no es así?

Business was going well for you, wasn't it?

— Fearless - Sin miedo (2006)

Para hablar en privado iba a las paradas.

To talk in private I went to the stops.

Sólo iba al café Cesari.

I only went to the Cesari café.

— El castillo ambulante (2004)

Señora, ¿iba también por ese camino?

Ma'am, were you going that way too?

— Memories of Murder (Crónica de un asesino en serie) (2003)

Cuando yo era un niño, iba muy seguido a nadar al mar.

When I was a child, I used to go swimming in the sea very often.

No voy vestido para remover fango, me iba a la peluquería.

I'm not dressed to stir up mud; I was on my way to the hair salon.

— Las diabólicas (1955)

Alguien dijo que iba a su casa.

Someone said they were going to his house.

— Un día de furia (1993)

El niño iba acompañado por sus padres.

The boy was accompanied by his parents.

Iba por esta calle, dentro de aquel coche.

I was driving down this street in that car.

— Mystic River (2003)

auxiliary · third singular · imperfect indicative Uncommon #12,191
was going to Used with "a" + infinitive to talk about an intended action in the past.
SP: Iba a llamarte, pero se me olvidó.
EN: I was going to call you, but I forgot.
Conjugation of ir
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
Third iba —
ir

No vi quién iba conduciendo.

I didn't see who was driving.

La policía nunca iba conseguir tomar el Barrio Tanque ella sola.

The police were never going to be able to take over Barrio Tanque on their own.

— Tropa de élite 2 (2010)

El negocio iba prosperando hasta que llegó la crisis económica del país.

The business was thriving until the country's economic crisis hit.

En el auto de camino a casa, él iba haciendo planes para el día siguiente.

In the car on the way home, he was making plans for the next day.

Cuando iba cabalgando, de repente tuve mucha sed.

As I was riding, I suddenly became very thirsty.

— Rashomon (1950)

Jimmy me iba haciendo así.

Jimmy was doing this to me.

— Uno de los nuestros (1990)

Iba caminando del trabajo a su casa.

He was walking home from work.

Ella iba bajando por las escaleras.

She was going down the stairs.

El ciervo iba corriendo por sí sólo.

The deer was running all by itself.

Parece que iba durmiendo.

It looks like he was sleeping.

Ya iba siendo hora de que lo hiciese.

It was about time I did it.

Prometió que lo iba dejar.

He promised he was going to give it up.

— Oppenheimer (2023)

Me dijo que iba a ver qué había.

He told me he was going to see what was there.

Me encontré con él justo cuando iba saliendo del colegio.

I ran into him just as I was leaving school.

Como iba diciendo, no voy a hacer nada.

As I was saying, I’m not going to do anything.

Un pájaro iba volando por el cielo.

A bird was flying through the sky.

Él iba caminando por delante mío.

He was walking ahead of me.

Y por más rápido que yo corría, me iba alcanzando.

And no matter how fast I ran, he kept catching up to me.

— Ace Ventura, un detective diferente (1994)

La gente se iba moviendo más y más rápido.

People were moving faster and faster.

El sistema iba tener que correr detrás.

The system was going to have to chase after them.

— Tropa de élite 2 (2010)

La pista para mí era un túnel, por el que iba yendo y yendo.

The track for me was a tunnel, through which I kept going and going.

— Senna (2010)

Él entró justo cuando yo iba saliendo.

He came in just as I was leaving.

No mames, mi perro iba ganando.

No way, my dog was winning.

— Amores perros (2000)

El viajero iba silbando por el bosque.

The traveler was whistling through the forest.

El hombre iba diciéndolo cuando yo entré.

The man was saying it when I came in.

Él iba caminando frente al auto.

He was walking in front of the car.

Llevando puesto un casco amarillo iba repartiendo esto.

Wearing a yellow helmet, he was handing these out.

— P.K. (Peekay) (2014)

Según iba caminando, empezó a llover.

As I was walking, it started to rain.

Ya iba siendo hora.

It was about time.

— El tambor de hojalata (1979)

Sounds similar to