Using the gerund in Spanish to say by [doing something]

We use the Gerundio/Spanish present participle in order to say by + gerund (-ing verb).

Read and listen to these examples:

Yo memorizo la información repitiendo mucho.I memorise the information by repeating it a lot.

Marta controlaba el estrés haciendo deporte.Marta controlled her stress by doing sport.

Nosotras hemos aprendido mucho escribiendo en la pizarra.We have learned a lot by writing on the board.

Las cosas se consiguen teniendo paciencia.Things are achieved by being patient.

As you can see in the examples above, there is a main action that is achieved:

  • María controlaba el estrés 

through a second action that uses the gerund (-ando, -iendo):

  • haciendo deporte.

Notice how in Spanish there is no preposition before the gerund, unlike in English (which uses by). For example:

Se pierde peso comiendo de forma sensata.
Se pierde peso por comiendo de forma sensata.
One loses weight by eating sensibly.

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Examples and resources

Yo memorizo la información repitiendo mucho.I memorise the information by repeating it a lot.
Nosotras hemos aprendido mucho escribiendo en la pizarra.We have learned a lot by writing on the board.
Marta controlaba el estrés haciendo deporte.Marta controlled her stress by doing sport.
Las cosas se consiguen teniendo paciencia.Things are achieved by being patient.
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