Spanish Present Progressive Tense

Understanding the Present Progressive

The term "present progressive" is a fancy way of describing the verb tense that emphasizes that an action is currently taking place as we speak. It is characterized by the verb “to be,” followed by a second verb that ends with –ing (the "present participle"). For example:

I am studying.

You are running.

In Spanish, the present progressive is constructed in a similar way. Use the “to be” verb estar. Instead of ending the present participle with –ing, however, you’ll end it with –ando or –iendo.

Por ejemplo:

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Estoy caminando.
(I) am walking.
Sara está viajando.
Sarah is traveling.
Nosotros estamos corriendo.
We are running.

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Be careful, though! In English you can also use the present participle in this way:

We are going fishing.

In this case, the verb “to be” indicates a future occurrence, that of fishing. You cannot use the present participle in this case in Spanish. Rather, you must use an infinitive. In other words:

DO NOT say Vamos pescando. DO say, Vamos a pescar.

The Present Participles of Regular Verbs

-ar verbsp. participle-er verbsp. participle-ir verbsp. participle
comprarcomprandocorrercorriendovivirviviendo
esperaresperandotenerteniendopedirpidiendo
enseñarenseñandobeberbebiendoabrirabriendo
estudiarestudiandocomercomiendosalirsaliendo

The general rules for creating the present participle of regular verbs are:

1. –ar verbs will end in –ando.

2. –er verbs and –ir verbs will both end in –iendo.

The present participles never change… no matter which subject pronoun is used.

Por ejemplo:

Estoy comprando unos calcetínes.
(I) am buying some socks.
Estamos bebiendo la cerveza.
(We) are drinking the beer.
Tú estás viviendo en Argentina.
You are living in Argentina.

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Irregular Stem Changing Verbs

Note the following irregular verbs, which make a stem change in the present participle form:

VerbFrom e to i
venirviniendo
sentirsintiendo
decirdiciendo
VerbFrom o to u
dormirdurmiendo
morirmuriendo

Por ejemplo:

Me estoy sintiendo triste.
(I) am feeling sad.
Tú estás durmiendo en la cama.
You are sleeping on the bed.

Want to learn more about Spanish Tenses? Take a look at these lessons:

See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!

Mauricio Evlampieff: Rocket Spanish

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