Infinitives ending in -ar ⇨ Form present participles ending in -ando
Infinitives ending in -er and -ir ⇨ Form present participles ending in -iendo
Spanish Articles
How to use the present continuous in Spanish?
By: Mango Languages Fri Aug 30 2024
SpanishIndicative Mood
The Spanish present continuous (also known as the present progressive) is made up of the present tense of estar ("to be"), followed by the present participleNo definition set for present participleLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. of the main verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. The main use of the present continuous is to express something that is happening at this very moment. Also, bear in mind that the contexts in which the present continuous are used in English vary in Spanish.
Keep reading to learn more about the present continuous in Spanish, how it is formed, and the different situations in which it is used in Spanish compared to English.
Table of Contents
How to form the present continuous in Spanish?
As mentioned above, the present continuous is composed of two parts: the present tense of estar, followed by the present participle of the main verb. Let’s start with how to form the present participle:
The present participle is formed by adding -ando to the stem (the verb without infinitive endings -ar, -er, or -ir) of -ar verbs and -iendo to the stem of -er and -ir verbs. Spanish -ando and -iendo present participles are equivalent to the English "-ing" present participles:
To form present participles:
Take, for instance, an infinitive like cantar ("to sing").
Drop the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir). In this case, leave off -ar.
The resulting form is can-, that's your stem.
Then, add the appropriate ending to the stem. Since it is an infinitive ending in -ar, the correct ending is -ando.
The resulting present participle is cantando ("singing").
Regular Verbs: | ||
|---|---|---|
-ar verbs pensar to think | → Drop -ar | → Add-ando pensando thinking |
-er verbs comer to eat | → Drop -er | → Add-iendo comiendo eating |
-ar verbs pensar to think | → Drop -ar | → Add-ando pensando thinking |
Check out these tables for more details, including Spanish irregular verbs, stem-changers, and reflexive verbs.
Now that we know how to form the present participle, the present continuous tense is as easy as adding the present tense of estar:
Present tense of estar + | Present participle |
|---|---|
(Yo) estoy (I) am | mirando la televisión. watching TV. |
(Tú) estás (You-singular, informal) are | comiendo pizza. eating pizza. |
(Él/Ella/Usted) está (He/She/You-formal) is | viviendo en Buenos Aires. living in Buenos Aires. |
(Nosotros/Nosotras) estamos (We) are | |
(Vosotros/Vosotras) estáis (You-plural, only used in Spain) are | |
(Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes) están (They/You-plural) are |
Important
Reflexive pronouns in Spanish can either be placed before the conjugated form of estar or attached to the present participle:
Juan se está duchando. = Juan está duchándose.
Juan is taking a shower.
How to form negative sentences?
What if the sentence is negative? Where do we put the negative word, “no”? In English, the negative word is placed between the verb “to be” and the present participle, e.g., “I am not doing the dishes.” However, Spanish negative words are located right before the conjugated form of estar ("to be"):
No estoy haciendo nada malo.
I am not doing anything wrong.
How to form questions?
When using the present continuous in a question, simply add a question word like ¿qué? ("what?") at the beginning of the sentence, or use a rising intonation for yes/no questions.
Question word:
¿Qué están comiendo?
What are you eating?
Rising intonation:
¿Están comiendo?
Are you eating?
Now that we know how the Spanish present continuous is formed, let's focus on when to use it.
When do you use the present continuous in Spanish?
The present continuous in Spanish is used in the following three contexts:
Actions happening right now
This context refers to actions happening at the same time of speaking.
Examples:– ¿Qué estás haciendo?
– Estoy mirando la televisión.– What are you doing?
– I’m watching TV.– Estoy haciendo la tarea ahora mismo.
I’m doing my homework right now.
Time phrases that are often used in these contexts:
Ahora
Now
Ahora mismo
Right now
En este momento
In this (very) moment
Temporary, non-habitual actions
This context refers to actions that…
are happening at the time of speaking,
have been happening for a limited amount of time (a week, a month, etc.), and
are not what the speaker normally does.
Examples:
Normalmente trabajo en Uruguay, pero este mes estoy trabajando en Chile.
I normally work in Uruguay, but I’ve been working in Chile this month.
Duermo muy mal, pero últimamente estoy durmiendo como un bebé.
I don’t sleep very well, but lately I’ve been sleeping like a baby.
Time phrases often used in these contexts:
Hoy
Today
Este mes
This month
Últimamente
Lately
Habitual actions that the speaker perceives as annoying
This context refers to actions that happen frequently (every day, all the time, etc.), perceived as annoying by the speaker.
Examples:¡Estás jugando todo el día con la PlayStation y mañana tienes un examen!
You’ve been playing with your PlayStation all day, and you have a test tomorrow!
Time phrases often used in these contexts:
Todo el tiempo
All the time
Siempre
Always
A todas horas
All the time
Todo el día
All day long
Exception!
The Spanish simple present is also used to refer to actions happening right now, especially when no time phrases are used:
¿Qué estás haciendo? = ¿Qué haces?
What are you doing?
Estoy mirando la televisión. = Miro la televisión.
I’m watching TV.
Important
In English, an adverbNo definition set for adverbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. like “always” is placed between the verb “to be” and the present participle, e.g., She’s always listening to loud music. However, Spanish adverbs can also be located at the beginning or at the end of the sentence, or after the present participle:
Está siempre escuchando música muy alta.
OR
Siempre está escuchando música muy alta.
OR
Está escuchando música muy alta siempre.
OR
Está escuchando siempre música muy alta.
She’s always listening to loud music.
Check out a list of verbs that work with the present participle similarly to estar ("to be").
When NOT to use the present continuous
Unlike English, the present continuous is NOT used in the following contexts in Spanish:
Contexts | In English | In Spanish |
|---|---|---|
The verbs ir ("to go") and venir ("to come") | They're going to France. | Van a Francia. |
Future actions | I'm leaving tomorrow. | Me voy mañana./ |
Habitual actions over a period of time | Are you taking Spanish this semester? | ¿Estudias español este semestre? |
Non-action verbs | She's wearing black shoes. | Lleva zapatos negros. |
Check out a list of Spanish verbs that have different meanings when they are used in the simple present or the present continuous.
Summary
In order to form the Spanish present continuous, you need the present tense of estar, followed by the present participle of the main verb.
Present participles in Spanish are formed by adding -ando or -iendo to the stem, that is, the infinitive without the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir).
The present continuous in Spanish is used:
To express something going on at this very moment
To describe non-habitual temporary actions
To talk about recurring annoying actions
The present continuous in Spanish is NOT used:
With non-action verbs
With the verbs ir ("to go") and venir ("to come")
To talk about future and habitual actions
Ready to practice? Check out this activity (answer key included!)
Downloadable Resources
Elevate your language-learning journey to new heights with the following downloadable resources.
How to use the present continuous in Spanish~Present continuous meaning changing TableHow to use the present continuous in Spanish~How to form the present participle TableHow to use the present continuous in Spanish~Spanish verbs with progressive meaningHow to use the present continuous in Spanish~Activities
