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What are Spanish Gerunds?
Spanish gerunds (gerundios) are the equivalent of English present participles (words ending in -ing). They are used to form continuous tenses, express manner, and describe ongoing actions. Spanish gerunds are formed by adding -ando to -ar verbs and -iendo to -er and -ir verbs.
Unlike English, Spanish gerunds are never used as nouns - for that, Spanish uses infinitives.
Examples
Estoy estudiando español.
I am studying Spanish.
Llegó corriendo.
He arrived running.
Aprendemos practicando.
We learn by practicing.
Formation of Gerunds
Spanish gerunds follow regular formation patterns based on the verb's infinitive ending.
Regular Formation
Add the appropriate ending to the verb stem:
Gerund Formation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| -ar verbs | stem + -ando | hablar → hablando |
| -er verbs | stem + -iendo | comer → comiendo |
| -ir verbs | stem + -iendo | vivir → viviendo |
Irregular Gerunds
Some verbs have irregular gerund forms:
ir → yendo
going
poder → pudiendo
being able
venir → viniendo
coming
decir → diciendo
saying
Stem-Changing Verbs
Some -ir verbs change their stem in the gerund:
dormir → durmiendo (o→u)
sleeping
pedir → pidiendo (e→i)
asking for
sentir → sintiendo (e→i)
feeling
Uses of Gerunds
Spanish gerunds have several important uses in the language.
Continuous Tenses
Used with estar to form continuous tenses:
Estoy trabajando.
I am working.
Estaba durmiendo.
I was sleeping.
Manner or Method
Expressing how something is done:
Aprendió español viviendo en México.
He learned Spanish by living in Mexico.
Salió corriendo de la casa.
He left the house running.
Simultaneous Actions
Describing actions happening at the same time:
Caminando por la calle, vi a mi amigo.
Walking down the street, I saw my friend.
Estudiando mucho, pasó el examen.
By studying hard, he passed the exam.