Gerundio: what is it and how is it formed?
The Gerundio (Spanish gerund) is a non-finite form of the verb: it does not change for person or number, and it does not express tense on its own. It ends in -ando for -ar verbs or -iendo for -er / -ir verbs. Its most common use is with estar to form the progressive (estoy hablando, I am speaking) and to express simultaneous actions or the way something is done.
- Progressive: Estoy hablando con María (I'm talking to María)
- Simultaneous action: Entró cantando (He came in singing)
- Manner / how: Aprendo español leyendo libros (I learn Spanish by reading books)
- Cause or condition: Sabiendo eso, no iría (Knowing that, I wouldn't go)
- Continued past action: Estuve estudiando toda la noche (I was studying all night)
What is the Gerundio?
The Gerundio is one of the three non-finite forms of the Spanish verb, along with the infinitive (hablar, comer, vivir) and the participle (hablado, comido, vivido). Unlike conjugated forms, the gerundio does not change: hablando works for yo, tú, él, nosotros, vosotros, ellos.
The gerundio has an adverbial meaning: it describes how, when or why the action of the main verb happens. It is often translated as English -ing, but it cannot be used as a noun: «I like running» is me gusta correr, not me gusta corriendo.
How is the Gerundio formed?
The general rule depends on the infinitive ending:
| Group | Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ar | -ando | hablar → hablando (speaking) |
| -er | -iendo | comer → comiendo (eating) |
| -ir | -iendo | vivir → viviendo (living) |
Regular verbs: hablar, comer, vivir
| Infinitive | Gerundio | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hablar | hablando | Está hablando con su madre (She is talking to her mother) |
| comer | comiendo | Estoy comiendo una manzana (I'm eating an apple) |
| vivir | viviendo | Estamos viviendo en Madrid (We are living in Madrid) |
| trabajar | trabajando | Sigue trabajando aquí (She still works here) |
| aprender | aprendiendo | Está aprendiendo a conducir (He is learning to drive) |
| escribir | escribiendo | Estoy escribiendo una carta (I'm writing a letter) |
What are the irregular gerundios?
There are three groups of irregularities:
1. Vowel change e → i (-ir verbs)
-ir verbs with an e→i or e→ie change in the present keep the i in the gerundio.
| Infinitive | Gerundio |
|---|---|
| pedir | pidiendo |
| servir | sirviendo |
| decir | diciendo |
| sentir | sintiendo |
| mentir | mintiendo |
| repetir | repitiendo |
| seguir | siguiendo |
| conseguir | consiguiendo |
| preferir | prefiriendo |
| venir | viniendo |
| vestir | vistiendo |
| convertir | convirtiendo |
2. Vowel change o → u
Three verbs change o→u in the gerundio:
| Infinitive | Gerundio |
|---|---|
| dormir | durmiendo |
| morir | muriendo |
| poder | pudiendo |
3. -iendo → -yendo (stem ending in vowel)
When the stem of an -er / -ir verb ends in a vowel, the i in -iendo becomes y:
| Infinitive | Gerundio |
|---|---|
| leer | leyendo |
| creer | creyendo |
| oír | oyendo |
| caer | cayendo |
| traer | trayendo |
| huir | huyendo |
| construir | construyendo |
| destruir | destruyendo |
Exception: -ucir verbs (producir, conducir, traducir) do NOT follow this rule — their stem ends in consonant c: produciendo, conduciendo, traduciendo.
4. Fully irregular: ir
The verb ir has a unique gerundio: yendo (Voy yendo a la oficina — I'm on my way to the office).
When is the Gerundio used?
The Gerundio has five main uses:
1. With estar (the progressive)
The most frequent use: estar + gerundio indicates that an action is in progress at a specific moment.
- Estoy hablando con mi jefe (I'm speaking with my boss right now).
- Estábamos cenando cuando sonó el teléfono (We were having dinner when the phone rang).
- Estuve estudiando toda la tarde (I was studying all afternoon).
2. Simultaneous action
An action that happens at the same time as the main verb:
- Entró cantando (He came in singing).
- Salió corriendo (She ran out).
- Pasa el día leyendo (He spends the day reading).
3. Manner or way (how?)
Answers the question «how?»:
- Aprendo español leyendo libros (I learn Spanish by reading books).
- Se gana la vida cantando (She makes a living by singing).
- Practica hablando con nativos (Practice by speaking with native speakers).
4. Cause or condition
The gerundio can express the cause or condition of something:
- Sabiendo eso, no iría (Knowing that, I wouldn't go).
- Estando enferma, no fue al trabajo (Being sick, she didn't go to work).
5. With seguir / continuar / llevar
- Sigue lloviendo (It's still raining).
- Continuamos trabajando en el proyecto (We keep working on the project).
- Lleva dos horas esperando (He has been waiting for two hours).
What are the common mistakes with the Gerundio?
The Spanish gerundio is used differently from the English -ing form. These are the most frequent mistakes:
1. As a noun (the gerundio is NOT a noun)
English says I like running, but Spanish cannot say «Me gusta corriendo». Use the infinitive instead: Me gusta correr.
| Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|
| Me gusta corriendo | Me gusta correr (I like running) |
| Es difícil hablando | Es difícil hablar (Speaking is difficult) |
| Prohibido fumando | Prohibido fumar (No smoking) |
2. As an adjective (with exceptions)
In general the gerundio does not work as an adjective. NOT «una caja conteniendo libros», but «una caja que contiene libros» (a box that contains books). The only accepted exceptions are hirviendo and ardiendo: agua hirviendo (boiling water), casa ardiendo (burning house).
3. A later action
The gerundio expresses simultaneity or anteriority, NOT a later action. NOT «Salió de casa, llegando media hora después». Better: «Salió de casa y llegó media hora después» (He left home and arrived half an hour later).
Want to practice the Gerundio? In our app you can conjugate verbs with interactive exercises and combine the form with estar for the progressive.