Gerund is an impersonal form of the verb, just like the infinitive or the participle. Some verbs change their spelling in the gerund form. Let's review them:
Spanish
English
Ana y José están yendo al cine.
Ana and José are going to the movies.
Gerund Usage: General Rules
Rule 1. The gerund is used in the construction: estar + gerund. It helps express an ongoing action or an action that is being performed at the moment of speaking.
Spanish
English
Mi papá está leyendo un libro.
My dad is reading a book.
Rule 2. In English, the gerund is used as a noun. In Spanish, however, we would use the infinitive form in its place:
Spanish
English
El tomar agua es bueno para la salud.
Drinking water is good for your health.
Forming the Gerund
Rule 3. To create the gerund, you need to take the verb stem and add the necessary ending: -ando to verbs that end in -ar and -iendo to verbs that end in -er or -ir:
| Infinitive Verb Form | Gerund ending | Verb in Gerund Form |
|---|---|---|
| hablar | -ando | hablando |
| comer | -iendo | comiendo |
| vivir | -iendo | viviendo |
| Infinitive Verb Form | Gerund ending | Verb in Gerund Form |
|---|---|---|
| hablar | -ando | hablando |
| comer | -iendo | comiendo |
| vivir | -iendo | viviendo |
Spanish
English
Estamos teniendo el mejor día.
We are having the best day.
Irregular Verbs in the Gerund
Rule 4. Some verbs are irregular: they have -y added to their gerund form. These verbs are:
| Infinitive Form | Gerund Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ir | yendo | going |
| caer | cayendo | falling |
| creer | creyendo | believing |
| oír | oyendo | hearing |
| traer | trayendo | bringing |
| Infinitive Form | Gerund Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ir | yendo | going |
| caer | cayendo | falling |
| creer | creyendo | believing |
| oír | oyendo | hearing |
| traer | trayendo | bringing |
Rule 5. Verbs that change their stem in the present and preterite tense also change in their gerund form.
| Infinitive Form | Gerund Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| decir | diciendo | saying |
| dormir | durmiendo | sleeping |
| morir | muriendo | dying |
| pedir | pidiendo | requesting |
| poder | pudiendo | going to |
| reír | riendo | laughing |
| seguir | siguiendo | following |
| sentir | sintiendo | feeling |
| venir | viniendo | coming |
| vestir | vistiendo | visiting |
| Infinitive Form | Gerund Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| decir | diciendo | saying |
| dormir | durmiendo | sleeping |
| morir | muriendo | dying |
| pedir | pidiendo | requesting |
| poder | pudiendo | going to |
| reír | riendo | laughing |
| seguir | siguiendo | following |
| sentir | sintiendo | feeling |
| venir | viniendo | coming |
| vestir | vistiendo | visiting |
Spanish
English
Mi gatito siempre está durmiendo.
My kitty is always sleeping.
Quiz
1/3
Estamos _________ (comer) en este momento.
0
correct answers.