The Present Progressive Tense
To describe in Spanish an action that is taking place as you speak use the present progressive (presente progresivo). To do so: - Use the form of estar (to be) that agrees with the subject + a present participle (gerundio). (-ing in English)
¿Qué está haciendo Chela? What is Chela doing right now? ¿Qué haces Chela? What is Chela doing?(this weekend..tonight etc.)
In Spanish, the present progressive describes an action that is ocurring right now. To describe actions going on in the general present, use the present tense.
Compare the following sentences: Patricia está escribiendo una carta. Patricia is writing a letter. (RIGHT NOW.) Stephen King escribe otra novela. Stephen King is writing another novel. (THIS YEAR)
yo estoy estamos tú estáis estás está están ESTAR – to be nosotros vosotros él/ella usted ellos/as ustedes estoy estamos estáis estás está están
To form a present participle: 1. Drop the ending (-ar, -er, ir) from the infinitive. (Leaving the stem.) 2. Add –ando to the stem of –ar verbs. Add –iendo to the stem of –er or – ir verbs. This is the equivalent of the –ing form of the verb in English.
jugar comer escribir jug + ando jugando com + iendo comiendo (playing) comer com + iendo comiendo (eating) escribir escrib+ iendo escribiendo (writing)
Subject + ESTAR + ando iendo Estar will be conjugated to match the subject of the sentence.(gerund never changes) Estoy hablando.(I am talking.) Ella está comiendo. (She is eating.)
Pronouns can either go before “estar” (the conjugated verb) or attached to the participle. ducharse Me estoy duchando. Estoy duchándome.
I’m doing it. (la tarea) La estoy haciendo. Estoy haciéndola. NOTE: When attaching a pronoun you add an accent to the “a” of -ando and the “e” of –iendo.
If the stem of an –er or –ir verb ends in a vowel, -iendo changes to –yendo.(i y) leer traer oír creer – creyendo (believing) leyendo (reading) trayendo(bringing) oyendo (hearing)
decir - diciendo seguir - siguiendo pedir - pidiendo To form the present participle of –ir stem changing verbs the e in the stem of the infinitive changes to i and the o changes to u. decir - diciendo seguir - siguiendo pedir - pidiendo servir - sirviendo repetir - repitiendo dormir - durmiendo