The Gerund
Put en before the verb ending -ant (-ar verbs) or -ent (the others) to say how or while something happens.
How It Works
| Infinitive | Gerund |
|---|---|
| parlar | en parlant |
| vendre | en vendent |
| legir | en legissent |
| far | en fasent |
| dire | en disent |
The ending is -ant for every -ar verb and -ent for the others. -ir verbs with -iss- keep it: legir gives en legissent. Far and dire use the present stem: fasent, disent.
The gerund never agrees with anything, and the person who does the action is the subject of the main verb: Maria canta en trabalhant means that Maria sings and Maria works.
To say that you are in the middle of an action, Occitan uses èsser a with an infinitive: Soi a legir. The gerund is for how and while.
Examples (5)
- Manjam en parlant.
We eat while talking.
En parlant tells what happens at the same time.
- Aprenèm en legissent.
We learn by reading.
En legissent tells how we learn.
- Maria canta en trabalhant.
Maria sings while working.
The gerund trabalhant shares the subject Maria.
- Joan camina en cantant.
Joan walks while singing.
En cantant adds a second action.
- En sortissent de l'escòla, vegèri Joan.
As I was leaving school, I saw Joan.
The gerund can start the sentence.
Common Mistakes
Using the infinitive after en.
Aprenèm en legir.Aprenèm en legissent.After en, Occitan uses the gerund, not the infinitive.
Using -ent on an -ar verb.
Manjam en parlent.Manjam en parlant.Verbs in -ar take -ant.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The gerund has a different ending for -ar verbs and for -ir and -re verbs, so the -ir and -re presents come first.
Related Patterns
- Present Participles as Adjectives
Some words that look like the gerund work as adjectives.
Level 4 - èsser a + InfinitiveBeing in the Middle of Doing
Èsser a says that an action is going on now.
Level 3 - The Infinitive
The infinitive is the form you start from.
Level 1 - sens + InfinitiveWithout Doing
Sens takes an infinitive where en takes a gerund.
Level 4 - aprèp aver + ParticipleAfter Having Done
Aprèp aver and a participle names what came first.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice The Gerund in Bubblegum
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