The Spanish gerund and progressive: estoy hablando, sigo esperando
Un piso compartido, 21:00 · who is doing what?
Marta está cocinando.
MartaMartaestáiscocinando.cooking
es-TAH koh-thee-NAN-doh · “Marta is cooking (right now).”Why:Estar + gerund. Present estar for now. cocinar is regular: -ar → -ando.
Short answer: the gerund is the Spanish “-ing” form: -ar verbs take -ando (hablando), -er and -ir verbs take -iendo (comiendo, viviendo). Put estar in front for an action in progress: estoy hablando, “I am speaking”. Spanish uses it less than English: never for future plans, and never as a noun.
Forming it
Two endings make every gerund
Take the infinitive (the dictionary form, like hablar, “to speak”), remove the last two letters, and add the ending. The gerund never changes for person, gender or number: yo estoy comiendo, ellas están comiendo. Pick a verb.
infinitivehablar · to speak→stemhablar+ending-ando=Regular -ar.
Irregular gerunds
Three groups that change spelling
A few gerunds change, always for a reason you can hear or see. Learn the three groups and the one true oddity, ir.
-yendoWhen the stem ends in a vowel, the i of -iendo becomes y.
e → i-ir verbs with e in the stem change it to i.
o → uDormir and morir change o to u.
ir → yendoThe only gerund you must simply learn.
The progressive
When Spanish uses estar + gerund
The progressive stresses that an action is in progress right now, or was at a moment in the past. Spanish often uses the simple present where English uses “-ing”. Read across each row: the English, then what Spanish actually says.
Use itI’m eating right now.
EstoyI-amcomiendoeatingahora mismo.right now
es-TOY koh-MYEN-doh ah-OH-rah MEES-mohHappening at this moment: the progressive fits.
Use itIt was raining when I left.
Estabait-waslloviendorainingcuandowhensalí.I-left
es-TAH-bah yoh-BYEN-doh KWAN-doh sah-LEEIn progress at a past moment: estaba + gerund.
Simple presentI’m working in Madrid this year.
TrabajoI-workeninMadridMadrideste año.this year
trah-BAH-hoh en mah-DREED ES-teh AH-nyohA longer period, not this exact moment: the simple present is normal.
Simple presentI’m going to the cinema tomorrow.
MañanatomorrowvoyI-goal cine.to-the cinema
mah-NYAH-nah boy al THEE-nehFuture plans never use the progressive: voy, or voy a ir.
Simple presentWhat are you doing? (as a greeting)
¿Quéwhathaces?you-do
keh AH-thesCasual “what are you up to?” is usually the simple present.
Beyond estar
Seguir, llevar, ir: more verbs before the gerund
Other verbs can take a gerund and add a nuance. Llevar + time + gerund is how Spanish says “I have been … for”, where English needs a whole perfect tense.
seguir + gerundstill, keep on: the action continues.
SigoI-keepesperando.waiting
SEE-goh es-peh-RAN-doh · “I’m still waiting.”
llevar + time + gerundhave been … for: how long it has lasted.
YEH-boh dohs AH-nyohs es-too-DYAN-doh es-pah-NYOL · “I’ve been studying Spanish for two years.”
ir + gerundgradually, little by little.
VoyI-goentendiendounderstandingmás.more
boy en-ten-DYEN-doh MAHS · “I’m gradually understanding more.”
andar + gerundgoing around doing, often with a hint of criticism.
Andahe-walksdiciendosayingtonterías.nonsense
AN-dah dee-THYEN-doh ton-teh-REE-ahs · “He goes around talking nonsense.”
Pronouns with the gerund
Lo estoy haciendo or estoy haciéndolo
An object pronoun (lo, la, me, te, se…) can go before estar, or be joined to the end of the gerund. Both are correct and mean the same. When it is joined, add a written accent to keep the stress in the same place.
“I’m doing it.”
“I’m calling you.”
“He’s having a shower.”
-ing as a noun
When “-ing” is a thing, use the infinitive
English uses “-ing” as a noun: “swimming is healthy”, “I like reading”. Spanish uses the infinitive for this, often with el in front in formal writing. The gerund is only for actions in progress or the way something is done.
Nadarto-swimesissano.healthy
nah-DAR es SAH-noh · “Swimming is healthy.”Why:The subject is the activity itself, so the infinitive nadar.
Meto-megustapleasesleer.to-read
meh GOOS-tah leh-EHR · “I like reading.”Why:After gustar, an activity is an infinitive.
Antes debeforesalir,to-leavecierraclosela puerta.the door
AN-tes deh sah-LEER, THYEH-rrah lah PWEHR-tah · “Before leaving, close the door.”Why:After a preposition (antes de, sin, para) Spanish always uses the infinitive.
AprendíI-learntescuchandolisteningla radio.the radio
ah-pren-DEE es-koo-CHAN-doh lah RRAH-dyoh · “I learnt by listening to the radio.”Why:Here the gerund is right: it says how you learnt.