Spanish Phrase
No voy a poder ir.
Meaning
Literally, 'I am not going to be able to go.' It conveys that the speaker anticipates an inability to attend or travel somewhere in the near future.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to politely decline an invitation, explain a scheduling conflict, or inform someone that circumstances will prevent you from going somewhere soon.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Novoyapoderir
Negation (No)
Place 'no' before the verb phrase to negate the entire statement.
Irregular verb 'ir' (to go)
'Ir' is an irregular verb; its present tense forms are voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van.
Periphrastic future (ir a + infinitive)
The construction 'ir a + infinitive' expresses a near‑future action, similar to 'going to' in English.
Modal verb 'poder' (to be able to)
'Poder' followed by another infinitive indicates ability or permission.
Verb order
When using 'ir a poder + infinitive', keep the infinitive of the main action (here 'ir') at the end.
🗨In Conversation
¿Te unes a la cena mañana?
Are you joining the dinner tomorrow?
No voy a poder ir, tengo una reunión importante.
I won't be able to go, I have an important meeting.
✕Common Mistakes
No voy poder ir.
Missing the preposition 'a' after 'voy'; the correct periphrastic future requires 'ir a + infinitive'.
No voy a poder a ir.
Do not place another 'a' before the final infinitive; the verb 'ir' itself is the infinitive.
No voy a poder iré.
Do not combine the periphrastic future with a conjugated infinitive; use either 'voy a poder ir' or 'no podré ir'.
↔Alternatives
No podré ir.
I won't be able to go.
No voy a poder asistir.
I won't be able to attend.
No podré asistir.
I won't be able to attend.
Cultural Tip
In Spanish, the periphrastic future (ir a + infinitive) is more common in everyday speech than the simple future (iré). However, both are correct; the periphrastic form sounds slightly more informal and immediate. When declining invitations, adding a brief reason (e.g., 'tengo trabajo') softens the refusal and is considered courteous in many Spanish‑speaking cultures.