divirtiendo
dee-veer-TYEN-doh
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Están divirtiéndose mucho en la fiesta de cumpleaños.
A2They are having a lot of fun at the birthday party.
El niño pasa el día divirtiéndose con sus juguetes.
B1The child spends the day having fun with his toys.
Ella sigue divirtiéndose a pesar de la lluvia.
B2She continues enjoying herself despite the rain.
💡 Grammar Points
The '-ing' Form (Gerund)
This word is the Spanish equivalent of the English '-ing' form. It describes an action that is currently happening. It is most often used right after the verb 'estar' (to be) to form the continuous tense.
Stem-Changing Verb
The base verb divertir is tricky because the 'e' in the middle changes to 'ie' in many present forms (e.g., divierto), and changes to 'i' in the gerund (divirtiendo) and the 3rd person preterite (divirtió). Watch out for that internal vowel change!
Reflexive Action
When you use 'divirtiendo' to mean 'having fun,' it almost always needs the little word 'se' (or me, te, nos, etc.) attached, because you are doing the action to yourself (divertirse).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Reflexive Pronoun
Mistake: "Estamos divirtiendo en la playa."
Correction: Estamos **nos** divirtiendo / **Nos** estamos divirtiendo en la playa. (We are having fun at the beach.) The reflexive pronoun 'nos' is essential for 'having fun'.
Mixing up the Stem Change
Mistake: "Estamos divertiendo."
Correction: Estamos div**i**rtiendo. (The 'e' changes to 'i' in the gerund form.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Attaching the Reflexive Pronoun
When using 'divirtiendo' with 'estar,' you have two options for the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, etc.): you can put it before 'estar' (e.g., Me estoy divirtiendo) OR attach it directly to the end of the gerund (e.g., Estoy divirtiéndome). Remember to add an accent mark when attaching it!
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: divirtiendo
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the gerund 'divirtiendo' with the reflexive pronoun attached?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'divirtiendo' have an 'i' instead of an 'e'?
The base verb *divertir* is a 'stem-changing' verb. When you form the gerund (the -ing form), the 'e' in the middle of the verb changes to an 'i'. This change happens in several parts of the verb conjugation, especially in the continuous and past tenses.
Is 'divertir' the same as 'divertirse'?
Not quite. 'Divertir' (without the 'se') means 'to entertain' or 'to amuse someone else' (e.g., 'The clown is amusing the kids'). 'Divertir**se**' (with the 'se') means 'to amuse oneself' or 'to have fun,' which is the much more common use.