Gerundio
The English gerund is the -ing form of the verb. In Spanish, it’s the –ndo form.
Formation: Regular verbs
I. -AR verbs
Drop the infinitive ending and add –ando.
hablar | hablando | |
tomar | tomando | |
mirar | mirando |
Drop the infinitive ending and add –iendo.
aprender | aprendiendo | |
comer | comiendo | |
poner | poniendo | |
abrir | abriendo | |
describir | describiendo | |
escribir | escribiendo |
Formation: Irregular Verbs
I. Verbs with stem that ends in vowel: Drop the infinitive and add –yendo.
caer | cayendo | |
leer | leyendo | |
traer | trayendo |
II. -IR verbs with stem-change in third person pretérito: Same stem-change in the present participle.
decir | diciendo | |
dormir | durmiendo | |
pedir | pidiendo | |
poder | pudiendo | |
venir | viniendo |
III. Ir (to go) –> yendo
Usage
The Spanish gerund has two main uses.
1. Gerund
The gerund is an impersonal verb form which is used as an adjective or adverb to express an action in progress. It refers to an action which is simultaneous with or prior to the action of the other verb in the sentence.
Caminando por la plaza, vi a mi abuelo. | While walking in the plaza, I saw my grandfather. | |
Pasó todas sus vacaciones esperando una sorpresa. | He spent his entire vacation waiting for a surprise. | |
Aprendo mucho estudiando con ellos. | I learn a lot by studying with them. |
2. Progressive / Continuous Tenses
Present | Estoy leyendo. | I am reading. | |
Imperfect | Estaban estudiando. | They were studying. | |
Past | Estuve leyendo. | I was reading. | |
Future | Estará trabajando. | He will be working. |
Note: In English, the verb form in the second usage is called the present participle.
The Spanish gerund cannot be used as a noun, the way it is in English. This is a common mistake, even for native Spanish speakers.
Me gusta leer. |
I like reading. | |
Trabajar es importante. |
Working is important. |
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