A simple, colorful illustration showing a small, persistent yellow and black bee buzzing intensely right next to the large, fuzzy ear of a grumpy brown bear. The bear is clearly annoyed.

molestando

mo-les-TAN-do

Verb (Gerund)A2regular ar

bothering?causing annoyance or trouble,annoying?irritating someone

Also:disturbing?interrupting someone's activity,pestering?repeatedly bothering

Quick Reference

infinitivemolestar

gerundmolestando

past Participlemolestado

📝 In Action

El perro está molestando a los vecinos con sus ladridos.

The dog is bothering the neighbors with its barking.

Estuve molestando a mi jefe hasta que me dio el día libre.

I kept bothering my boss until he gave me the day off.

Si tu rodilla te sigue molestando, deberías ir al médico.

If your knee keeps bothering you (causing discomfort), you should go to the doctor.

Word Connections

Synonyms

fastidiando (annoying)
irritando (irritating)

Antonyms

ayudando (helping)
calmando (calming)

Common Collocations

seguir molestando – to keep bothering
estar molestando – to be bothering (right now)

💡 Grammar Points

Showing Ongoing Action

"Molestando" is the '-ing' form (the gerund). You use it with a form of the verb estar (like estoy, estás, está) to say the annoyance is happening right now: Está molestando (He is bothering).

Using the Gerund Alone

You can sometimes use 'molestando' by itself to describe how someone is behaving: Vino a la fiesta, siempre molestando a todos (He came to the party, always annoying everyone).

❌ Common Pitfalls

The False Friend Trap

Mistake: "Using 'molestar' to mean 'to sexually abuse' (like the English word 'to molest')."

Correction: In Spanish, *molestar* means 'to annoy' or 'to bother.' If you mean the severe action implied by the English word, use phrases like *abusar sexualmente* or *agredir*.

⭐ Usage Tips

Polite Interruptions

To politely ask if you can interrupt someone, use the phrase ¿Estoy molestando? (Am I disturbing you?) or ¿Te molesto un momento? (May I bother you for a moment?).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: molestando

Question 1 of 2

Which English sentence correctly uses the meaning of 'molestando'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

molestar(to bother / to annoy) - verb

molestia(annoyance / discomfort) - noun

molesto/a(annoying / bothered) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'molestando' and 'está molesto'?

'Molestando' is the action of bothering someone (e.g., *Él está molestando* - He is doing the bothering). 'Está molesto' describes the feeling or state of being bothered or annoyed (e.g., *Yo estoy molesto* - I am annoyed).

Is 'molestando' only used with 'estar'?

No, while it is most common with *estar* to show an action happening right now, you can also use 'molestando' with verbs like *seguir* (to keep doing something): *Sigue molestando* (He keeps bothering).