The Gerund or Present Participle (-ing)
Formation
Remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) of a verb And add -ando for -ar verbs Or add -iendo for -er and -ir verb
caminar -> caminando - walking volver -> volviendo - returning abrir -> abriendo - opening
Warning: Nearly always the infinitive is used in Spanish. The gerund / present participle (-ing) in English is replaced by the infinitive in Spanish
Me gusta nadar - I like swimming
Vivir en Santiago es agradable - Living in Santiago is pleasant
Sin comprar nada - Without buying anything
So when do we use the gerund in Spanish?
1. To help form the continuous tenses
Estoy comiendo - I am eating Estabas hablando - You were talking 2. Time expressions with seguir or continuar
Voy a seguir estudiando - I'm going to continue studying 3. Time expressions spent doing something
Llevo 1 hora esperando - I've been waiting for an hour Pasé 20 minutos leyendo - I spent 20 minutes reading 4. Expressing slow but gradual action
La situación va mejorando - The situation is getting better
Warning: Don't use the Spanish gerund as an adjective In English, we can. In Spanish, find an adjective or short phrase instead.
La siguiente historia - The following story
El discusión interesante - The interesting debate
Una caña de pescar - A fishing rod
Una sala de esperar - A waiting room
Un permiso de conducir - A driving license
Zapatos de baile - Dancing shoes
