A small, determined child pushing a large, bright blue block up a gentle green incline, symbolizing the act of trying hard to accomplish a task.

tratando

/trah-TAHN-doh/

Verb Form (Gerund)A2

trying?when attempting to do something

Also:treating?when handling a topic or person,dealing with?when managing a situation

Quick Reference

infinitivetratar

gerundtratando

past Participletratado

📝 In Action

Estoy tratando de aprender español.

I'm trying to learn Spanish.

Sigue tratando, ¡casi lo tienes!

Keep trying, you almost have it!

Estamos tratando este asunto en la reunión.

We are dealing with this matter in the meeting.

El médico está tratando a mi abuela con un nuevo medicamento.

The doctor is treating my grandmother with a new medicine.

Word Connections

Synonyms

intentando (attempting)
manejando (handling)

Common Collocations

estar tratando de – to be trying to
seguir tratando – to keep trying

💡 Grammar Points

The Spanish '-ing' Form

'Tratando' is what's called a gerund, which is the Spanish version of adding '-ing' to a verb. You almost always use it with a helper verb like 'estar' (to be) to describe an action that is currently in progress.

'Tratando de' = 'Trying to'

To say you are 'trying to do' something, the structure is always 'estar tratando de' + the action verb. For example, 'Estoy tratando de llamar' means 'I'm trying to call'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using It Without a Helper Verb

Mistake: "Yo tratando de estudiar."

Correction: Yo estoy tratando de estudiar. Unlike in some informal English, you almost always need a helper verb like 'estoy' (I am) before the '-ando' or '-iendo' word to make a full sentence.

Forgetting 'de'

Mistake: "Estoy tratando abrir la caja."

Correction: Estoy tratando de abrir la caja. When you are 'trying to do' an action, you need the little word 'de' to connect 'tratando' to the next verb.

⭐ Usage Tips

More Than Just 'Trying'

While 'trying' is the most common meaning, remember that 'tratando' can also mean 'treating' or 'dealing with'. The context will tell you which one fits. If you see 'de' after it, it almost always means 'trying'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: tratando

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'tratando' to mean 'I am trying to cook'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

tratar(to try; to treat) - verb

tratamiento(treatment) - noun

trato(deal, agreement, treatment (of a person)) - noun

maltratar(to mistreat) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'tratando' and 'intentando'?

They are very similar and often interchangeable when they mean 'trying'. 'Intentando' is a bit more focused on the attempt itself, while 'tratando' can sometimes imply a process or effort. For beginners, you can use them almost identically for 'trying'.

Can I use 'tratando' by itself?

Not usually to make a full sentence. It needs a helper verb, most commonly a form of 'estar' (like 'estoy', 'está', 'estamos'). You might see it alone in a phrase like 'Sigue tratando' (Keep trying), where 'sigue' is the main verb.