A2 · Elementary

Estar + gerund

Describe an action in progress right now with estar + gerund, and seguir + gerund.

Forming the gerund

-ar verbs take the ending -ando (hablar → hablando). -er and -ir verbs take -iendo (comer → comiendo, vivir → viviendo).

When a vowel precedes the ending, -iendo becomes -yendo (leer → leyendo). Stem-changing -ir verbs (e→i, o→u) also change in the gerund: dormir → durmiendo, pedir → pidiendo, decir → diciendo.

infinitivogerundio
hablarhablando
comercomiendo
vivirviviendo
leerleyendo
dormirdurmiendo
pedirpidiendo
decirdiciendo

estar + gerund: the durative form

Estar (conjugated) + gerund expresses an action that is in progress at the moment of speaking.

Examples

Estoy estudiando español.I'm studying Spanish.
¿Qué estás haciendo?What are you doing?
Estábamos comiendo cuando llamaste.We were eating when you called.

seguir + gerund ('to keep on ...')

Seguir (or continuar) + gerund means that something keeps on happening or continues.

Examples

Sigo estudiando español después de tres años.I keep studying Spanish after three years.
Sigue lloviendo.It keeps raining.

Pronouns with the gerund

Object or reflexive pronouns can attach to the end of the gerund (with a written accent), or stand before the conjugated form of estar.

Examples

Estoy leyéndolo. / Lo estoy leyendo.I'm reading it.
Está duchándose. / Se está duchando.He/she is showering.

💡 Tips

💡
-er/-ir verbs with a vowel before the ending take -yendo instead of -iendo (leer → leyendo).
💡
Stem-changing -ir verbs (e>i, o>u) also change in the gerund: pedir → pidiendo, dormir → durmiendo.
💡
When attaching a pronoun to the gerund there is always a written accent: leyéndolo, haciéndolo.

🎯 Practise this topic with 10 interactive exercises (10)

Related grammar

The regular preterite (pretérito indefinido)
The past tense for completed events: regular -ar, -er and -ir forms.
The irregular preterite (pretérito indefinido)
The most common verbs are irregular in the indefinido: ser/ir, tener, hacer, decir and more.
The imperfect past (pretérito imperfecto)
The past tense for habits, descriptions and background — almost always regular.
Indefinido versus imperfecto
Two past tenses, one choice: what happened (indefinido) versus what the situation was (imperfecto)?

← Comparatives and superlativesPor and para →

Want to really master this?

Create a free account: placement test, personal learning path, exercises with instant feedback, pronunciation and a real teacher following your progress.

Start for free 📅 Book a trial lesson with Yohana on Preply