Presente Continuo II

Estoy relajándome

In this lesson we are going to dive deeper into Presente Continuo. We’ll compare estar + gerundio with Presente Simple, explain the use of reflexive verbs and make a more complete list of irregular gerunds.

Presente Continuo vs. Presente Simple

The basic use case of Presente Continuo is like in English. It shows that an action is taking place right now.

Compare these sentences:

Yo estudio mucho – I learn a lot (in general)

Yo estoy estudiando ahora – I’m learning now (at this moment)

In other words, Presente Continuo is needed to describe lasting processes. Lasting progresses refer to some real time progressive events. In contrast, Presente Continuo isn’t suitable for describing state of mind or very general actions, such as knowing something, talking about preferences, etc.

Creo que sí – I think, yes

Don’t say: Estoy creyendo que sí

Yo conozco a Juan – I know Juan

Don’t say: Yo estoy conociendo a Juan

Me gusta la lluvia – I like the rain

Don’t say: Me está gustando la lluvia

Te entiendo – I understand you

Don’t say: Te estoy entendiendo

This resembles pretty much the English difference between Present Simple and Present Continuous.

However, the Spanish Presente Continuo and the English Present Continuous sometimes aren’t one hundred percent equal.

Unlike in English, in Spanish some actions that are happening now can be expressed using Presente Simple. This is possible with some very casual expressions.

¿Qué dices? – What are you saying?

¿Qué haces? – What are you doing?

Voy a la tienda – I’m going to the shop

¿De dónde viene Elisa? – Where is Elisa coming from?

You can, obviously, use Presente Continuo in all these sentences. Just keep in mind, that sometimes you can hear them in the simple present tense.

Another difference is that the Spanish Presente Continuo can’t be applied to the future actions, as it happens in English. Instead, to express future actions in Spanish, the simple present is widely used.

Mañana viajamos a Argentina – Tomorrow we are going to Argentina

El próximo lunes no trabajamos – Next Monday we won’t work

Reflexive verbs in Presente Continuo

The estar + gerundio combination is nothing else, than a compound predicate. Do you remember the lesson about compound predicates?

A compound predicate is when two verbs are bound together. The first one is conjugated (has some personal form), and the other one remains in its neutral form (in most cases it’s an infinitive). Instead of an infinitive, it can be a gerund.

The logic is the same. If the second verb is reflexive, there are two options of where you can place the reflexive pronoun: before the first verb, or right at the end of the second one. But not in between!

Me estoy peinando = Estoy peinándome

Te estás relajando = Estás relajándote

Try it yourself:

I’m getting ready for the exam

Lorena is looking at herself in the mirror

We are getting up

Are you falling asleep?

Irregular gerunds

As you might remember, there are tons of irregular verbs in Presente Simple, but not all of them match the irregular gerunds. The good news is that there are much less irregular gerunds, than irregular verbs in Presente.

Irregular gerunds can be grouped together, according to the transformations they have.

These are the most common ones:

i – y

leer – leyendo

construir – construyendo

ir – yendo

creer – creyendo

caer – cayendo

traer – trayendo

o – u

dormir – durmiendo

morir – muriendo

poder – pudiendo

e – i

pedir – pidiendo

decir – diciendo

seguir – siguiendo

repetir – repitiendo

corregir – corrigiendo

venir – viniendo

sentir – sintiendo

servir – sirviendo

vestirse – vistiéndose

Estoy pidiendo un té, no un café – I’m asking for a tea, not coffee

Estamos vistiéndonos – We are getting dressed

Mi amor por ti está muriendo – My love for you is dying

Try it yourself:

My dad is sleeping

What is the teacher saying?

We are building a house in Marbella

What are you feeling?

Some of the irregular gerunds from the list above aren’t very convenient to be used in Presente Continuo. For example, you can’t say Estoy pudiendo. However, these gerunds can be used in some other situations, which we are going to talk about in the next lesson.