Progressive Tense in Spanish Grammar

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Does Spanish have a progressive tense?

The structure estar + gerundio in Spanish grammar is similar to the English present progressive tense (am going, am doing, am waiting …), although it’s technically not a tense, it’s a verbal periphrasis.

We use the conjugated form of the verb estar plus the gerund of the main verb to express an action in progress at the time of speaking.

Example:
Ahora mismo estoy conduciendoI’m driving right now.
Alguien está llamando por teléfono.Someone is calling.

Learn how to use estar + gerundio, then test yourself in the exercises.

Example

Zeichnung
  • ¿Es éste tu loro? ¡Qué bueno y qué tranquilo parece!
  • ¡Qué va! Si está callado es porque está tramando algo. Siempre está diciendo tonterías e intentando morder los dedos de los que pasan por delante de la jaula.
  • Ahora que lo dices, creo que me está mirando de una forma extraña. Mejor si me alejo de la jaula, ¿no?

When to use estar + gerundio

We use the structure estar + gerundio to express:

  • an action that is in progress at the moment of speaking
    Example:
    El loro está tramando algo.The parrot is plotting something.
    Me está mirando de forma extraña.He’s looking at me in a funny way.
  • a recurring action
    Example:
    Siempre está diciendo tonterías.He’s always saying silly things.
  • an ongoing temporary action
    Example:
    Esta semana estoy durmiendo muy mal.I haven’t been sleeping well this week.

How to conjugate estar + gerundio

To conjugate the estar + gerundio, we take a present form of the verb estar plus the main verb in its gerund form. The gerund is the same for all forms. See the table below:

Person estar Gerund
yo estoy

hablando

aprendiendo

viviendo
tú estás
él/ella/usted está
nosotros/-as estamos
vosotros/-as estáis
ellos/ellas/ustedes están

Gerund

To form the gerund (gerundio), we replace the infinitive endings -ar, -er, -ir with the following:

Ending Example
Infinitive Gerund Infinitive Gerund
-ar -ando hablar hablando
-er -iendo aprender aprendiendo
-ir -iendo vivir viviendo

Reflexive Verbs

In the case of reflexive verbs (los verbos reflexivos), the reflexive pronoun can come before the verb estar or can be attached to the end of the gerund. With the latter option, the gerund takes an accent.

Examples:
esconderse → El gato se está escondiendo. / El gato está escondiéndose.The cat is hiding.

Exceptions

Generally speaking, verbs that change their stem in the present tense (-e → -i/-ie, -o → -ue) also change their stem in the gerund.

Infinitive Gerund
decir diciendo
divertir divirtiendo
dormir durmiendo
morir muriendo
pedir pidiendo
poder pudiendo
preferir prefiriendo
servir sirviendo

However, the following stem-changing verbs conjugate their gerunds in a regular manner:

e → i o → u
empezar → empezando mover → moviendo
cerrar → cerrando oler → oliendo
querer → queriendo probar → probando
tener → teniendo recordar → recordando
entender → entendiendo soñar → soñando
perder → perdiendo

Verbs that end in -er/-ir whose word stem ends with a vowel, form the gerund with -yendo (not: -iendo).

Example:
construir → construyendo
ir → yendo
leer → leyendo
oír → oyendo
traer → trayendo

Gerund or Present Participle?

The English gerund is not the same as the Spanish gerundio.
In English grammar, the gerund is an -ing verb which is used like a noun as the subject of sentence, or after certain verbs.

Example:
Swimming is fun.

Gerund as the subject. Functions like a noun.

I like swimming.

Gerund after the verb like. Functions like a noun.

The Spanish gerundio is a verb that indicates a continuing action. It corresponds to the English present participle which is also used in progressive tenses with the verb be.

Example:
Me está mirando.
He is looking at me.