Ir vs. irse
The Spanish verbs ir and irse both relate to the concept of movement, but they are not interchangeable. The key difference lies in whether the focus is on the destination (ir) or on the act of departing from a place (irse).
Ir
A1The verb ir means to go and is used when a specific destination is mentioned or implied. The focus is on the place someone is going to.
Mañana voy al supermercado.
(Tomorrow I am going to the supermarket.)
¿Vas a la fiesta de Ana esta noche?
(Are you going to Ana's party tonight?)
Vamos a la playa cada verano.
(We go to the beach every summer.)
Ellos fueron a Madrid el año pasado.
(They went to Madrid last year.)
Si llueve, no iremos al parque.
(If it rains, we will not go to the park.)
Irse
A2The verb irse means to leave or to go away. It emphasizes the act of departing from the current location, and a destination is often not mentioned. It implies leaving a place behind.
Me tengo que ir, es muy tarde.
(I have to leave, it's very late.)
Se fue sin decir adiós.
(He left without saying goodbye.)
La fiesta estaba aburrida, así que nos fuimos.
(The party was boring, so we left.)
¿A qué hora te vas de la oficina?
(What time do you leave the office?)
¡Vámonos de aquí ahora mismo!
(Let's get out of here right now!)
Summary
In summary, use ir when you are talking about going to a destination. Use irse when you are talking about leaving from a place. The easiest way to remember is to think of ir as to go and irse as to go away or to leave.