Spanish Phrase
Me voy esta tarde.
Meaning
Literally, 'I am leaving this afternoon.' It conveys a personal plan to depart sometime before the evening, often used in casual conversation.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to tell friends, family, or coworkers that you will be heading out later in the day. It’s informal, so avoid it in very formal business emails or official announcements.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Mevoyestatarde
Reflexive pronoun (me)
The pronoun 'me' indicates that the subject is performing the action on themselves; with 'ir' it forms the reflexive verb 'irse' meaning 'to leave/go away'.
Present tense of ir (voy)
Voy is the first‑person singular present of the irregular verb ir (to go). In the reflexive form it means 'I am going/leaving'.
Time expression (esta tarde)
Esta tarde means 'this afternoon' and is placed after the verb to specify when the action will happen.
🗨In Conversation
¿A qué hora te vas?
What time are you leaving?
Me voy esta tarde.
I'm leaving this afternoon.
✕Common Mistakes
Voy a esta tarde.
Missing the reflexive pronoun and the verb 'ir' is not correctly linked to the time expression.
Me voy a esta tarde.
The preposition 'a' is unnecessary; it changes the meaning to 'I go to this afternoon', which is nonsensical.
Voy esta tarde.
Without the reflexive pronoun, the sentence means 'I go this afternoon' (a habitual action) rather than 'I am leaving'.
↔Alternatives
Me marcho esta tarde.
I’m heading out this afternoon.
Salgo esta tarde.
I’m going out this afternoon.
Voy a irme esta tarde.
I’m going to leave this afternoon.
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries, 'me voy' is a friendly, informal way to announce your departure. In a formal setting you might say 'Me retiraré esta tarde' or simply 'Me marcho'. Also, 'esta tarde' can refer to any time from noon until the early evening, so if you need to be precise, add a specific hour (e.g., 'a las cinco').