How to Say ‘I Was Going To’ in Portuguese: Ia Fazer
Ia fazer means ‘I was going to do’; the sentence context can show whether the plan happened or changed.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
The imperfect of ir followed by an infinitive expresses what someone was going to do. For eu, the form is ia; for nós, it is íamos.
Use ia plus an infinitive for a past plan
Eu ia ligar para você ontem.
I was going to call you yesterday.
Íamos jantar fora, mas começou a chover.
We were going to eat out, but it started to rain.
Say whether the plan changed
Ia fazer does not by itself tell the listener whether you completed the action. Add mas (but), só que (except/only), or acabei… to explain what happened next.
Eu ia comprar o ingresso, mas esgotou.
I was going to buy the ticket, but it sold out.
Ela ia sair, só que ficou doente.
She was going to go out, but she got sick.
Compare a past plan with a current intention
Use vou fazer for a present or near-future plan and ia fazer to report a plan from the past. This contrast helps make timelines clear in conversation.
Vou falar com ele depois.
I’m going to talk to him later.
Eu ia falar com ele ontem, mas esqueci.
I was going to talk to him yesterday, but I forgot.
Put it into practice
Use the imperfect form of ir plus an infinitive to say what someone was going to do.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “She was going to go out, but she got sick”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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