ir a / estar a punto de

Question

Hi, is there anyone who could tell me if there is any difference between " ir a + infinitive" y "estar a punto de". Por ejemplo puedo decir de misma manera: va a llover y està a punto de llover meaning both "I think it will rain /it is going to rain"

Hello, welcome to the forum! - rac1, Jan 7, 2013

Answer 1

Cuando tu dices "Va a llover" es una especie de futuro pero que carece de cierto grado de certeza. Ej: Va a llover pero hay un poco de sol. Cuando dices "Está apunto de llover" es porque seguramente lloverá sin duda alguna. Ej: Cuando ves nubes negras en el cielo tu dices "está apunto de llover". Espero haberte ayudado.

Answer 2

I agree completely with Jesus, but to add to it, I was also taught that "estar a punto" means "just/right about to." Ir + a + infinitive indicates the near future, any time encompassed by the generic "soon", but estar a punto is only used right before something happens.

So while you could say "va a llover" or "estar a punto de llover" to say "It's going to rain," unless the rain is moments away, estar a punto doesn't really make sense. It's like when someone is waiting for you and you say "I'll be out in a minute" or "I'm on my way out now." You could use them interchangeably, but only if you are walking to your door.

Does that help?

Answer 3

Tks a lot : )