-ando/-iendo
Gerund Formation
The Spanish gerund often corresponds to English -ing in descriptions of activity. Regular forms use -ando or -iendo, but Spanish uses the infinitive where English names an activity with -ing.
How It Works
The Spanish gerund, or gerundio, is essential for forming progressive tenses, which describe actions in progress. The formation is very regular for most verbs.
Regular Formation:
- -ar verbs: Drop -ar, add -ando.
hablar → hablando (talking)
caminar → caminando (walking) - -er/-ir verbs: Drop -er/-ir, add -iendo.
comer → comiendo (eating)
vivir → viviendo (living)
A key use of the gerund is with the verb estar to form the present progressive, as in Estoy hablando con mi amigo (I am talking with my friend).
Note: Some verbs have irregular gerund forms (e.g., with spelling or stem changes). These are covered in a separate lesson.
Examples (4)
- hablar → hablando
to talk → talking
For -ar verbs like 'hablar', remove the -ar and add -ando.
- comer → comiendo
to eat → eating
For -er verbs like 'comer', remove the -er and add -iendo.
- escribir → escribiendo
to write → writing
For -ir verbs like 'escribir', remove the -ir and add -iendo.
- Estoy trabajando ahora.
I am working now.
Word by Word: I am working now.
The gerund 'trabajando' is used with 'estoy' to describe an action happening at this moment.
Common Mistakes
Using the gerund as a noun (subject of a sentence).
Nadando es divertido.Nadar es divertido.In English, the '-ing' form can act as a noun (e.g., 'Swimming is fun'). In Spanish, you must use the infinitive form of the verb ('nadar') as the noun, not the gerund ('nadando').
How It Connects
Learn This First
To form gerunds, you must first be able to identify the infinitive form of a verb and distinguish between -ar, -er, and -ir endings, as the suffix you add (-ando or -iendo) depends entirely on the verb's classification.
Related Patterns
- estar + GerundPresent Progressive
Estar + gerund presents an activity in progress at a reference time. Conjugate estar to locate that time: estoy hablando is present, while estaba hablando is past.
Level 2 - Pronouns with Gerunds
This pattern explains how to attach object pronouns directly to the end of the gerund, such as in 'Estoy bañándome' (I am bathing myself).
Level 2 - seguir/continuar + GerundContinuing Actions
These verbs are often followed by a gerund to express that an action is still happening or continues, like 'Sigo estudiando' (I'm still studying).
Level 2 - llevar + Time + GerundDuration of Action
Another common structure that uses the gerund to talk about how long someone has been doing an action, for example, 'Llevo dos horas esperando' (I have been waiting for two hours).
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice -ando/-iendo in Bubblegum
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