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Non-finiteA2
Gerund (gerundio)
The gerundio describes an ongoing action, usually with "estar" (to be in the middle of doing something), or the manner of an action.
Usage
The gerundio describes an ongoing action, usually with "estar" (to be in the middle of doing something), or the manner of an action.
Rules
51Regular formation
-ar becomes -ando, -er and -ir become -iendo; the form never changes by person.
- hablando, comiendo, viviendo — speaking, eating, livingthree ending types
- teniendo, haciendo, queriendo — having, doing, wanting
2estar + gerundio (progressive)
With "estar" plus gerundio you say something is happening right now.
- Estoy comiendo ahora. — I'm eating right now.
- Los niños están durmiendo. — The children are sleeping.
- ¿Qué estás haciendo? — What are you doing?
3Irregular: y and stem changes
Some verbs use y or change their stem: diciendo, durmiendo, yendo.
- Está diciendo la verdad. — He is telling the truth.
- Está durmiendo bien. — He is sleeping well.o becomes u
4Manner
On its own the gerundio expresses manner: how something is done (while, by doing).
- Aprendo español viendo películas. — I learn Spanish by watching films.viendo = how?
- Llegó corriendo. — He came running.
5Not a six-person form
The gerundio has just one form for everyone; the person is shown by the helper verb (estar).
- Estamos viviendo aquí. — We are living here.estar carries the person
Examples
- Estoy aprendiendo, no, estoy comiendo. — I'm eating right now.
- Estás siendo muy amable. — You're being very kind.
- Voy yendo poco a poco. — I'm getting there bit by bit.
- Estamos haciendo la cena. — We're making dinner.
Conjugate
Test
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