difference between "vamos" and "vamonos"

Question

Buenas, amigos,

Quien puede decirme qual es la diferencia entre las dos parablas "vamos" y "vamonos". ?Es que "vamonos" sea mas emfatico de los dos?

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Answer 1

Vámonos- This is the command form for irse- let’s get out of here, let’s leave

Vamos- this is the command form for ir, or the present indicative- Let’s go, we go.

I have always heard it as that irse focuses on the act of leaving, and ir focuses more on the destination- going somewhere. So vámonos when you just want to leave, not caring so much where, vamos when you want to get a move on to your intended destination.

Vámonos de aquí- let’s get out of here

Vamos a casa- let’s go home.

Here is a thread on the subject.

http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/173323/ir-is-different-from-irse-with-pictures

:) - ian-hill, Oct 2, 2014

I maybe should have added that vamos a plus infinitive is often used as a command for other verbs, not just for the ïnformal" future, which I also didn't mention. :) - bosquederoble, Oct 2, 2014

Such as "vamos a ver" which can be translated as let's see, or we are going to see. :) - bosquederoble, Oct 2, 2014

vamos a ver = we'll see ;) - chileno, Oct 3, 2014

just a little correction amigo Bosque : the command form for IR is vayamos "not vamos" .. vamos is the indicative mood not imperative .. and lets go home is "vayamos a casa" not "vamos a casa" .. vamos a casa would mean .. we are going home - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 3, 2014

Please look at my answer and then we can discuss if need be :) - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 3, 2014

The question is actually inept as there is no comparison between vamos and vamonos .. both belong to different moods and have different uses ,, - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 3, 2014

The actual comparison is between vayamos (imperative for ir) and vamonos (the imperative for irse) where both can be used interchangeably... where vamonos is more emphatic and is used more often it can also mean to leave as you stated as irse can - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 3, 2014

either mean to leave (mostly used in conjunction with de/from) or can mean the same as IR but more emphatic - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 3, 2014

See my answer, in modern usage vamos is for must functions the first-person plural imperative, and all arguements to the contrary are pure semantics. :) - bosquederoble, Oct 3, 2014

OK amigo, but I have never heard any one ever saying "vamos" for lets go .. 99 percent of the times i have heard vamonos and remaining i dont rember .. hehe - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 3, 2014

But it must be correct if you say so .. hehe , - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 3, 2014

My point is if you are saying lets go, it will be vámonos- no destination- it you say let's go to the store- it is vamos a la tienda. So yes, you don't normally just say vamos, you say vamos with a destination, without such you are just trying to leave :) - bosquederoble, Oct 3, 2014

OK Bosque, thanks for the enlightenment :) - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 4, 2014

Answer 2

To quote my book:

Ir forms its first-person plural imperative irregularly: vamos, vámonos "let's go". The expected form vayámonos is nowadays virtually extinct and vayamos is used as an imperative only in set phrases, e.g. vayamos al granos "let's get to the point"

Elsewhere:

Thus no nos enfademos "let's not get angry" may be expressed by no nos vamos a enfadar, no vamos a enfadarnos.

other examples are given.

Answer 3

Vamos is the preseent indicative conjugaion for "IR"

Look at the following :

Presente de indicativo : Yo voy : I go, Tu vas : You go, El, Ella, Ud Va : He, She, You(formal) go. Nosotros V A M O S : we go.

Now, I hope you understand the difference between the indicative mood and the imperative mood (commands and entreaties) ..

The imperative conjugation for "IR" is as follows

Yo : Imperative is never conjugated in yo form as we can't give a command or make a request to our selves. Tu : ve, no vayas. El, Ella, Ud : Vaya, No Vaya. Nosotros : Vayamos, No Vayamos. Vosotros : Id, No vayais. Ellos, Ellas, Uds. : Vayan, No Vayan.

So If I just have to use the verb IR "to go" in general, making a regular statement, I will use the indicative mood .. for example.. I go to the library every Sunday .. Voy a la biblioteca cada domingo. I am going to go mad ... voy a quedarme loco. ,,, we are going to the movie tonight .. vamos al cine esta noche. and so on and so forth..

Now if I have to give someone a command or make a request I will use the imperative mood ... For example ... Leo go to school right now ... Leo ve a la escuela ahorita mismo. or Sir please go to your seat.. Señor vaya a su asiento por favor... let us go to the party ... vayamos a la fiesta .. and so on and so forth ...

OK so far so good ,, now lets move forward ...

IR has a pronominal form "irse" which either means to leave( from a place) or can also mean the same as IR with more emphasis on the act of leaving .. but it's primary meaning is to leave ,,,, (however the reason I told you about the other meaning is because your V A M O N O S is mainly used in that context but hang on, there is more) ..

Now the conjugation for irse in present indicative stays exactly the same as IR with the corresponding reflixve pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se) however there is a slight change in the conjugation for the imperative mood ..

IR-SE imperative conjugation :

Tu : vete, no te vayas, El, Ella, Ud : Vayase, no se vaya. nosotros : V A M O N O S, no nos vamos. vosotros : idos, no os vayais. ellos, ellas, uds. : vayanse, no se vayan.

now, look at the nosotros conjugation, here is where your Vamonos is coming from .. which literally would mean "let us leave" (from a place) but is mostly used as a general term to mean "let us go" .. so in that sense .. both vayamos (the imperative of IR) and vamonos (the imperative of irse) would mean the same but Vamonos would be more emphatic and is used much more than vayamos ..

Hope you get the idea now ..

so you can't compare .. vamos and vamonos as the both belong to two different moods and cant be used interchangeably ,, but the actual comparison is between "vayamos and vamonos" and yes between the two vamonos is more emphatic :) - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 3, 2014

See my answer. It may be all semantics, but functionally vamos is the first person plural imperative in modern speech. - bosquederoble, Oct 3, 2014

OK dear .. :) - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 3, 2014