ReVerb Spanish

Spanish gerunds vs. English gerunds

In Spanish, gerunds are used to refer to an action in progress. There are 3 distinct gerund endings.  I know what I said in the “Andar vs. Estar” podcast but I was trying to keep things super simple.

The Spanish gerund endings are:

-ando (for verbs that end in -ar)

-iendo (for verbs that end in -er or -ir)

-yendo (A few -er and -ir verbs use this ending)

A gerund is used in both the present continuous and past continuous tenses. It is a way to emphasize an action that is happening in the moment. Estoy leyendo (I am reading). Estaba leyendo (I was reading).

To be more precise, the Spanish phrase “estoy leyendo” means “I am reading (right now)” while “yo estaba leyendo” means “I was reading (right then, at that very moment in the past).”

In English, we tend to use the -ing form a lot. In fact, English uses the continuous tense (also called the progressive tense) more frequently than Spanish does. As a result, it is very common for English speakers to use this form excessively when they speak Spanish.

For example, it is very common and normal to hear someone in English say “I am learning Spanish.” The speaker of this sentence is  just making a general statement. He is not necessarily saying that he is learning Spanish in that very moment.

However, in Spanish, it sounds kind of odd to say “Estoy aprendiendo español” UNLESS you want to emphasize that you are studying Spanish at that very moment.

If that’s not the case, it’s more typical and correct in Spanish to say “Aprendo español,” which in English can be translated as  “I learn Spanish” or  “I am learning Spanish.”

In Spanish, the continuous/progressive tense generally implies a longer duration or repetition of the verbal action. In English, however, we tend to use the -ing form when referring to brief actions or things that are going to happen in the near future.

Here are some common examples where it is natural to go with the -ing form in English but in Spanish you would stick with the present tense.

English: Who are you talking to? With whom are you speaking?

Spanish: ¿Con quién hablas? (present tense)

English: What are you doing?

Spanish: ¿Qué haces?

English: I’m coming back tonight.

Spanish: Vuelvo esta noche.

There are some other key differences between the Spanish gerund and the English gerund. In English, a gerund can also be used as is a noun. For example:  “Walking is great exercise.” The word “walking” is a verbal noun.

In Spanish, we create a verbal noun by using the infinitive (the unconjugated form of the verb) not by using its gerund.

Caminar es excelente para la salud = Walking is great for your health

NOT Caminando es excelente para la salud.

No fumar aquí. (No smoking allowed.)  NOT No fumando aquí.

Dormir es mi actividad favorita (Sleeping is my favorite activity) NOT Durmiendo es mi actividad favorita.

Other scenarios in which the -ing form that we use in English requires the infinitive in Spanish:

With a verb that expresses likes and dislikes: Odio nadar en agua fría. (I hate swimming in cold water.)

With some prepositions: El cocinero se lava las manos antes de hacer la comida. (The cook washes his hands before making the meal.)

But on the flip side, there are times when the Spanish gerund doesn’t correspond to the English -ing form.

TIME (to show two parallel actions)

Estando en España, hablo español. (While I am Spain, I speak Spanish.)

CAUSE (to indicate a major circumstance)

Siendo presidente, Barack Obama tiene más responsiblidades que nunca. (Since he is president, Barack Obama has more responsibilities than ever.)

MANNER (to show the way in which an action takes place)

El perro entra corriendo cuando oye el silbato. (The dog runs inside when he hears the whistle.)

In Spanish, a gerund is typically attached to the verb ESTAR but there are other Spanish verbs that can be paired with a gerund. This week’s podcast talks about one of them -  the verb ANDAR. In a future episode, I will mention some other verbs that can replace ESTAR in the continuous/progessive tense formula (ESTAR + a gerund).