Meaning & use
present participle spanish
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Meanings
nouncountable
The -ndo verb form in Spanish (for example, hablando, comiendo), used for ongoing or simultaneous actions.
Grammar: Countable when referring to one form; use 'the present participle' or 'a present participle'.
Patterns
- the present participle in Spanish
- form the present participle of a verb
- use the present participle to mean 'while doing'
In Spanish, the present participle of hablar is hablando.
She used the present participle to describe what she was doing while walking.
The present participle in Spanish often translates the English -ing form.
phrasefixed phrasespecialist
A label used in grammar explanations for the Spanish verb form that ends in -ando or -iendo.
Grammar: Used as a fixed grammar term; not usually pluralized.
Patterns
- the Spanish present participle
- Spanish present participle endings
The Spanish present participle endings are -ando for -ar verbs and -iendo for -er and -ir verbs.
Teachers often compare the Spanish present participle with the English -ing form.
He wrote a short guide on the Spanish present participle for beginners.
Word forms
| plural | present participles in Spanish |
|---|
Common combinations
- form the present participle
- To form the present participle in Spanish, drop the infinitive ending and add -ando or -iendo.
- Spanish present participle
- The Spanish present participle is used less often than the English -ing form.
- present participle of a verb
- What is the present participle of the verb 'leer'?
- use the present participle
- You can use the present participle to say 'while doing something'.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gerundio
- This is the Spanish name for the same form; use it when you are speaking or writing in Spanish.
- -ing form
- This is the English equivalent; it is not exactly the same because Spanish uses the -ndo form in fewer situations.
Word family
- present participle noun
- The general English grammar term for verb forms ending in -ing.
- past participle noun
- The verb form used in perfect tenses and passive sentences, such as 'hablado' in Spanish.
Commonly confused: present participle spanish or gerund?
present participle spanish vs gerund
In English, a gerund is an -ing form used as a noun, while a present participle is used in progressive tenses or as an adjective. In Spanish, the -ndo form is usually called the gerundio, but it works more like the English present participle.
Practice
Which sentence correctly uses the Spanish present participle?
Choose one answer.
'Estoy hablando' uses the present participle hablando with estar to show an ongoing action. 'Hablo' is simple present, 'hablé' is past tense, and 'hablar' is the infinitive, so they do not contain a present participle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “present participle spanish”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.