escribiendo
es-kree-BYEN-doh
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Estoy escribiendo una carta a mi abuela.
A1I am writing a letter to my grandmother.
¿Qué estás escribiendo? Parece importante.
A1What are you writing? It looks important.
Ella estuvo escribiendo toda la noche para terminar su ensayo.
A2She was writing all night to finish her essay.
Llevo tres horas escribiendo este informe.
B1I have been writing this report for three hours.
💡 Grammar Points
Creating Continuous Actions
This word is always used with a form of estar (to be) to show that an action is happening right now, like 'Estoy escribiendo' (I am writing).
The '-iendo' Pattern
Verbs that end in '-er' or '-ir' (like escribir) change their ending to '-iendo' to become the 'doing' form. Verbs ending in '-ar' use '-ando'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up the English and Spanish 'ing'
Mistake: "Using 'escribiendo' as a standalone noun, like 'Escribiendo es divertido' (Writing is fun)."
Correction: Use the infinitive for the noun form: 'Escribir es divertido' (Writing is fun). 'Escribiendo' only describes an ongoing action.
⭐ Usage Tips
Emphasizing Continuation
You can use seguir (to continue) followed by escribiendo to emphasize that the action is still going on: 'Sigo escribiendo' (I keep on writing).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: escribiendo
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'escribiendo'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'escribiendo' the same as 'writing' in English?
Yes, in the sense of an ongoing action ('I am writing'). However, unlike English, you cannot use 'escribiendo' as a regular noun; for that, you must use the infinitive *escribir*.
Does 'escribiendo' ever change its ending?
No. The gerund form 'escribiendo' is always fixed. It doesn't change based on who is performing the action (I, you, he, they) or how many people are involved. It is an 'always stays the same' form.