A gerund in Spanish, called the gerundio, is a verb form ending in -ando or -iendo that expresses an action in progress. It works similarly to the English “-ing” form in phrases like “I am running” or “she is eating,” but with some important differences in how and when you can use it. Understanding those differences is one of the keys to sounding natural in Spanish.
How to Form the Regular Gerundio
Forming the gerundio follows a simple two-step pattern: drop the verb’s infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir), then add the gerund ending.
- -ar verbs: drop -ar, add -ando. Hablar becomes hablando (speaking). Caminar becomes caminando (walking).
- -er verbs: drop -er, add -iendo. Comer becomes comiendo (eating). Correr becomes corriendo (running).
- -ir verbs: drop -ir, add -iendo. Vivir becomes viviendo (living). Escribir becomes escribiendo (writing).
That covers the majority of Spanish verbs. If you memorize -ando for -ar verbs and -iendo for everything else, you’ll be right most of the time.
Irregular Gerund Forms
Spanish has several categories of irregular gerunds, but they follow predictable patterns once you learn the rules. One reassuring fact: -ar verbs never have irregular gerunds, even verbs that are irregular in other tenses.
The -yendo Change
When an -er or -ir verb has a vowel right before its ending (like cre-er, le-er, o-ír, tra-er), the -iendo ending changes to -yendo. This prevents two weak vowels from sitting next to each other, which would sound awkward in Spanish.
- Creer → creyendo (believing)
- Leer → leyendo (reading)
- Oír → oyendo (hearing)
- Traer → trayendo (bringing)
- Caer → cayendo (falling)
- Huir → huyendo (fleeing)
- Ir → yendo (going)
Stem-Changing Verbs: E to I
Many -ir verbs that have an e-to-ie or e-to-i stem change in the present tense swap the e in their stem for an i in the gerund. The ending itself stays regular (-iendo).
- Mentir → mintiendo (lying)
- Preferir → prefiriendo (preferring)
- Vestir → vistiendo (dressing)
- Seguir → siguiendo (following)
- Sentir → sintiendo (feeling)
Stem-Changing Verbs: O to U
A handful of -ir verbs with an o-to-ue stem change in the present tense swap the o for a u in the gerund form.
- Morir → muriendo (dying)
- Dormir → durmiendo (sleeping)
- Poder → pudiendo (being able)
Verbs That Lose a Vowel
A few -ir verbs that undergo an e-to-i change and also have an e right before the -ir ending lose that extra e from the stem entirely. This prevents a clunky cluster of vowels.
- Freír → friendo (frying)
- Reír → riendo (laughing)
Using the Gerundio With Estar
The most common use of the gerundio is paired with the verb estar to form progressive tenses, which describe actions happening right now or currently in progress. This structure works just like “to be + -ing” in English.
To build it, conjugate estar in whatever tense you need, then add the gerundio. The gerundio itself never changes for person or number. Estar does all the conjugation work.
- Estoy comiendo. (I am eating.)
- Estás hablando. (You are talking.)
- Estábamos durmiendo. (We were sleeping.)
Use the present progressive (estar in present tense + gerundio) specifically for actions happening at the moment you’re speaking, or to highlight that something is an ongoing process right now. Spanish speakers use this form more narrowly than English speakers use “I am doing.” In Spanish, a simple present tense sentence like “Estudio español” (I study Spanish) already covers habitual or general actions. You would only say “Estoy estudiando español” to emphasize that you are studying right at this moment.
Where the Spanish Gerundio Differs From English
This is where many learners trip up. In English, the “-ing” form doubles as a noun: “Running is fun,” “I’m tired of waiting,” “The problem of leaving.” In Spanish, you cannot use the gerundio this way. When the “-ing” form acts as a noun or follows a preposition, Spanish uses the infinitive instead.
- “Living is good” becomes “Vivir es bueno,” not “Viviendo es bueno.”
- “The problem of leaving” becomes “El problema de salir,” not “El problema de saliendo.”
- “Before eating” becomes “Antes de comer,” not “Antes de comiendo.”
A helpful rule of thumb: if you can replace the English “-ing” word with “to [verb]” and the sentence still makes rough sense (“To live is good,” “the problem of to leave”), then Spanish wants the infinitive. If the action is genuinely happening in that moment (“She is living abroad”), then the gerundio is the right choice.
Where Pronouns Go With the Gerundio
When you use object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, les) or reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos) with a gerundio, you have two options for placement. You can attach the pronoun directly to the end of the gerundio, or you can place it before the conjugated form of estar. Both are correct, and native speakers use both interchangeably.
- Estoy hablándote. / Te estoy hablando. (I’m talking to you.)
- Está vistiéndose. / Se está vistiendo. (He/she is getting dressed.)
- Estaban mostrándoselo. / Se lo estaban mostrando. (They were showing it to him/her.)
When you attach pronouns to the end of the gerundio, you often need to add a written accent mark to maintain the original stress. In “hablándote,” for example, the accent keeps the stress on “blan” where it naturally falls in “hablando.” Without the accent, the stress would shift and the word would sound wrong.
When multiple pronouns are involved (like se and lo together), they always stay in the same order: reflexive or indirect object first, then direct object. This holds true whether you attach them to the gerundio or place them before estar.
Other Verbs That Pair With the Gerundio
Estar is the most common companion for the gerundio, but it’s not the only one. Several other verbs combine with the gerundio to add nuance about how an action unfolds over time.
- Seguir / continuar + gerundio: expresses that an action keeps going. “Sigo estudiando” means “I keep studying” or “I’m still studying.”
- Ir + gerundio: suggests gradual progression. “Voy aprendiendo” means “I’m gradually learning” or “I’m learning little by little.”
- Llevar + time + gerundio: expresses how long something has been going on. “Llevo tres años viviendo aquí” means “I’ve been living here for three years.”
- Andar + gerundio: implies wandering or doing something casually or repeatedly. “Anda diciendo mentiras” means “He goes around telling lies.”
Each of these constructions adds a shade of meaning that estar alone doesn’t capture. As you advance, they’ll help you express time and progression more naturally.