siguen
/SEE-ghen/
they follow
The most literal translation of "siguen" is "they follow," depicting movement behind a leader.
siguen(Verb)
they follow
?physically or abstractly
,you (plural, formal) follow
?Ustedes form
they proceed
?continuing along a path
,they comply with
?following rules or instructions
📝 In Action
Ellos siguen la ruta marcada en el mapa.
A1They follow the route marked on the map.
¿Ustedes siguen las instrucciones al pie de la letra?
A2Do you all (formal) follow the instructions exactly?
Las noticias que siguen de cerca el evento son positivas.
B1The news items that closely follow the event are positive.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'E' Changes to 'I'
The verb 'seguir' is tricky! When conjugating it, the 'e' in the middle changes to 'i' when the stress falls on it. This is why you get 'siguen' (they follow) instead of 'seguen'. Remember the 'e' only stays for 'nosotros' (seguimos) and 'vosotros' (seguís).
Indicative Use
Since 'siguen' is the Present Indicative form, it is used for facts, realities, and actions that are definitely happening now or habitually.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the wrong stem
Mistake: "Ellos *seguen* la procesión."
Correction: Ellos **siguen** la procesión. (The 'e' must change to 'i' in the 'they' form.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal vs. Informal Plural
'Siguen' can mean 'they follow' (ellos/ellas) or 'you all follow' (ustedes). The difference depends entirely on the context of who you are talking about.
When used with a gerund, "siguen" means "they keep doing" an action, emphasizing continuation.
siguen(Verb)
they keep doing
?used with a gerund
,they continue doing
?used with a gerund
📝 In Action
Mis vecinos siguen haciendo mucho ruido por la noche.
B1My neighbors keep making a lot of noise at night.
Aunque es difícil, ellas siguen estudiando para el examen.
B1Even though it is difficult, they continue studying for the exam.
Después de tres horas, ¿ustedes siguen caminando?
B2After three hours, are you all still walking?
💡 Grammar Points
Expressing Ongoing Action
This is one of the most useful ways to say that an action continues without interruption. The pattern is always 'siguen' + the '-ando' or '-iendo' form (the gerund).
Difference from Estar + Gerund
While 'están comiendo' means they are eating right now, 'siguen comiendo' emphasizes that the eating started before and is still continuing.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the Infinitive
Mistake: "Siguen *hablar* por teléfono."
Correction: Siguen **hablando** por teléfono. (You must use the '-ando' or '-iendo' form after 'siguen'.)
In a social media context, "siguen" means "they follow" someone's online profile or content.
siguen(Verb)
they follow (online)
?social media
,you (plural, formal) follow (online)
?social media
📝 In Action
Ellos siguen a muchos artistas en Instagram.
A2They follow many artists on Instagram.
Mis amigos y yo no seguimos esa cuenta porque publican poco.
B1My friends and I don't follow that account because they post infrequently.
💡 Grammar Points
The Personal 'a'
When 'siguen' means 'to follow' a person (or a social media account representing a person), you must include the small word 'a' right before the person/account: 'Siguen a Taylor Swift'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: siguen
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'siguen' to mean 'they keep doing'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'siguen' pronounced with a hard 'g' or a soft 'h' sound?
The 'g' in 'siguen' is soft, like the 'g' in 'great' but slightly softer in the back of your throat (a voiced velar fricative). It is never pronounced like the Spanish 'j' (like in *jamón*).
If I want to say 'we follow,' what is the correct form?
For 'we follow' (nosotros), the 'e' does *not* change, so you use the regular form: 'seguimos'.