Ir vs. Vir in Portuguese: Go There or Come Here — Practice

Use ir when the movement is away from the reference point

Ir means ‘to go.’ The point of view can be the speaker’s current place, the listener’s place, or another location already established in the conversation. Ask where the speaker is imagining the movement from.

The common future pattern vou + infinitive works with ir: vou ao mercado (I’m going to the market). The destination makes the movement easy to understand.

Use vir when the movement is toward the reference point

Vir means ‘to come.’ If a friend is already at your home and invites you there, they may ask você vem aqui? (are you coming over?). If you are at the destination and the other person is elsewhere, vir can describe their movement toward you.

The reference point can shift during a conversation, so listen for who is speaking and where each person will be. A destination such as aqui, aí, or lá often helps clarify the viewpoint.

Remember: Think about the point of reference: ir moves toward a destination from that viewpoint; vir moves toward the speaker, listener, or agreed destination.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. I’m going home after class.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vou para casa depois da aula.

2. Are you going to the party today?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você vai à festa hoje?

3. We went downtown in the morning.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A gente foi ao centro de manhã.

4. Are you coming to have dinner at my place?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você vem jantar na minha casa?

5. Can you come here for a moment?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode vir aqui um instante?

6. Let me know when you come.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Quando você vier, me avisa.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Think about the point of reference: ir moves toward a destination from that viewpoint; vir moves toward the speaker, listener, or agreed destination.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Ir vs. Vir in Portuguese: Go There or Come Here? lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.