¿Este uso coloquial del gerundio es de España solamente o lo usan igual en otros países también?

Question

Hi all,

This is an interesting usage that I haven't come across before. Is it only used in Spain, or elsewhere as well? Especially the last example of giving a command in a threatening tone or in no uncertain terms,- "Ya estás largándote'..

I know that in Chile for example, when someone is telling someone to leave, (say, at the end of an argument or unpleasant discussion, especially when they want a person to leave the room/house), it's very common to say "Ya, ¡partiste!" in the preterite. "You left already'', hahaha, I love it!

Answer

I was wondering the same, not familiar with this usage. I thought I had switched to  New World Spanish version after running into a similar lesson that only applied to Spain. Ojalá que alguien responda! Hace un año que Heather lo escribió.

Answer

Hiya both, yes! It's very interesting to observe how different tenses or verb forms perform different functions in the language. The use of the preterite for orders is not something you would learn in textbooks, however it's a very authentic use in Latin America! One example would be "Son las 7 y no has hecho la tarea. ¡Ya dejaste de jugar y te pusiste a trabajar!" (it's 7 and you haven't done your homework. Stop playing immediately and start working)

Answer

Hi Heather and JuliaSorry about the delay. Yes, the gerund form (-ando, -iendo) is also used in Latin America, not only in Spain. As it is a very colloquial usage, you may have not come across it yet. The use of the preterite that Heather and Diana mention with the same functionality is something I have never heard in Spain though. SaludosInma