llorando
yoh-RAHN-doh
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
¿Por qué estás llorando? ¿Te duele algo?
A1Why are you crying? Does something hurt you?
Pasó toda la noche llorando después de ver la película triste.
A2She spent the whole night crying after watching the sad movie.
Llegó al trabajo llorando y nadie sabía qué había pasado.
B1He arrived at work crying and nobody knew what had happened.
💡 Grammar Points
Action in Progress
This form, ending in -ando (or -iendo), tells you that an action is happening right now or was happening at a specific moment. It's the Spanish equivalent of English verbs ending in -ing.
Using it with 'Estar'
The most common way to use 'llorando' is with the verb 'estar' (to be) to form the continuous tense: 'estoy llorando' (I am crying), 'estaba llorando' (I was crying).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Gerund and Infinitive
Mistake: "Using 'Es importante llorar' when you mean 'It is important to cry' (the general action), but incorrectly using 'Es importante llorando' (meaning 'It is important crying')."
Correction: Remember that 'llorando' describes an action *in progress* or *how* an action is done. For general actions or after verbs like 'to be able to,' use the infinitive 'llorar'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Describing How
You can use 'llorando' to explain how someone did another action: 'Me lo dijo llorando' (She told it to me while crying/crying).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: llorando
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'llorando' to describe an action happening now?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I use 'llorando' instead of 'llorar'?
Use 'llorando' when you want to show that the action of crying is happening *right now* (e.g., 'El niño está llorando') or when you are describing *how* someone did another action (e.g., 'Lo dijo llorando'). Use 'llorar' (the infinitive) for the general concept or after modal verbs (e.g., 'Quiero llorar').
Is 'llorando' always used with 'estar'?
No, although using it with 'estar' is very common for the continuous tense. You can also use it with other verbs like 'seguir' ('to keep doing') or use it alone to modify another verb, like 'Corrió llorando' (He ran while crying).