Vámanos vs Vamos vs Vayamos

Question

Does “Vámanos” fit in here?  I have heard it used but don’t really understand the reasoning behind it.  Is it another informal command for “Let’s go” to ourselves, like “Vamos”,  or is it from the verb “Irse”?                      Sorry, I know it is not part of this lesson you are teaching but I have been curious about it.

Answer

Hola Linda,There are 3 ways in Spanish to use the imperative of verb "ir" for nosotros:1. ¡vayamos!(or vayámonos)2. ¡vamos!3. ¡vámonos!1. is using the present subjunctive form which is the general rule for all verbs, e.g. "hagamos una fiesta", "abramos las ventanas"... This form for verb ir is not that common to use colloquially, it sounds quite formal. We use 2 and 3 generally.2. is using the present tense which, just for verb ir, is a more colloquial and common use of the imperative. 3 is a combination of vamos + nos (vámonos, we drop the "s")The forms 2 and 3 are interchangeable generally but there is sometimes a very subtle nuance. Vámonos is referring more to "leave a place", e.g. "Vámonos de aquí. No me gusta este pub.", while the shorter version "vamos" will generally imply "let´s go [somewhere]": "Vamos a la playa" (Let's go to the beach).I hope this helped.Inma

Answer

Thank you, Inma!  That finally makes sense to me.  Muchas gracias.