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Gerundio/Spanish present participle

Spanish present participle

Written by qualified Spanish expert Inma Sánchez BA
Last updated: 2023-11-30

a.k.a. Spanish Present Participle

Spanish verb forms ending in -ando or -iendo , e.g. "hablando", are called gerundios (present participle). These special verb forms are known as verbals because these words no longer act like verbs in sentences - they have no subject. Instead they act like adjectives or adverbs. 

See also: Spanish past participle.

Top tip: In English, we use the term present participle as well as gerund, but in Spanish we only use "gerundio" (so "participio" always refers to the past participle). Historically, a present participle and a gerund were supposed to describe different roles played by the same word, but in reality, there is no such clear distinction. As a result, it's very easy to get confused trying to wrap your head around the difference! Thankfully, modern grammar has dropped the distinction completely and they are now synonymous. Phew!

¿Estás hablando de mí?
Are you talking about me?

Bebiendo y comiendo tanto no vas a adelgazar.
Drinking and eating so much you won't get thinner.

Ella está viviendo en una casa pequeña.
She is living in a small house.

 

Lessons with more detail on Gerundio/Spanish present participle

Forming the present progressive/continuous in Spanish with estar + present participle (El Presente Progresivo)
Forming the progressive imperfect with estar + present participle (El Imperfecto progresivo/continuo)
Position of Spanish direct and indirect object pronouns with infinitive/present participle and affirmative commands
Using Spanish verbs seguir/continuar + present participle = to keep on [doing something]
Forming the progressive preterite tense in Spanish with estar + present participle (El Indefinido Progresivo)
The Spanish imperfect progressive vs the Spanish preterite progressive (was +ing)
Using the gerund in Spanish to say by [doing something]
Using the infinitive after prepositions in Spanish (not present participle)
Forming regular gerunds in Spanish (-ing form)
Forming irregular gerunds in Spanish (-ing form)
Using acabar/terminar + [infinitive/present participle] = to end up doing something in Spanish (perífrasis verbal)
Using ir + present participle to emphasise the progression of an action (perífrasis verbal)
Quedarse + [gerund] = to do something continuously in Spanish (perífrasis verbal)
Using the Spanish gerund to say while [doing something]
Using the infinitive (not the gerund) as the subject/object of the verb
Position of Spanish reflexive and direct object pronouns with infinitive/present participle and affirmative commands
Using the Spanish gerund as a command
I'll be right with you...