riendo
rree-ENN-doh
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Mi bebé estaba riendo a carcajadas con el perro.
A1My baby was laughing loudly with the dog.
Ella pasó toda la película riendo.
A2She spent the whole movie laughing.
Lo encontré riendo de un chiste que había leído.
B1I found him laughing at a joke he had read.
💡 Grammar Points
Forming Continuous Actions
You use 'riendo' with a form of the verb 'estar' (to be) to describe an action happening right now: 'Estamos riendo' (We are laughing).
Adverbial Use
The gerund can describe how someone does something: 'Vino riendo' (He came laughing), showing the manner of arrival.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Stem Change
Mistake: "The base verb 'reír' sometimes changes 'e' to 'i'. Learners often incorrectly say '*reiendo*'."
Correction: The correct form is 'riendo'. Remember the change from 'e' to 'i' in the middle of the word.
⭐ Usage Tips
Watch the Accent Mark
The infinitive 'reír' has an accent mark on the 'i' to separate the vowel sounds. However, the gerund 'riendo' does not need an accent mark.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: riendo
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses the gerund 'riendo' to form a continuous action?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it 'riendo' and not '*reiendo*'?
The verb 'reír' is irregular and changes its stem vowel 'e' to an 'i' when followed by certain vowels, including the '-iendo' ending. This is a common pattern for specific '-ir' verbs like 'pedir' (pido, pidiendo).
What is the difference between 'riendo' and 'sonriendo'?
'Riendo' means 'laughing' (making a sound), while 'sonriendo' means 'smiling' (a silent facial expression). Both are gerunds used to describe continuous actions.