Table of Contents

• What Are You Doing Right Now?
• The Two Ingredients: Estar + Gerund
  • Ingredient 1: The Verb `Estar` (To Be)
  • Ingredient 2: The Gerund (`Gerundio`)
• Putting It All Together: Let's Make Some Sentences!
• When to Use It (and Crucially, When Not To!)
• What About Pronouns? (`me`, `te`, `lo`, `la`, etc.)
• Let's Review

What Are You Doing Right Now?

Seriously, what are you doing at this very moment? You are reading this article. Maybe you are also listening to music. Perhaps a dog is barking outside.

All these "–ing" actions—things happening right now—are expressed in Spanish using a fantastic tense called the Present Progressive. It's your go-to tool for describing life as it unfolds, moment by moment.

In this guide, we'll break down exactly how to form and use this essential tense. By the end, you'll be describing what's happening around you like a pro. ¡Vamos!

Life is unfolding all around us—use the present progressive to describe it!

The Two Ingredients: Estar + Gerund

Think of the present progressive as a recipe with two essential ingredients:

1. The verb estar (in the present tense)
2. A gerund (the Spanish equivalent of an "-ing" verb)

Let's look at each ingredient separately before we mix them together.

Ingredient 1: The Verb Estar (To Be)

First, you need the verb estar. This is your "helper" verb. It tells us who is doing the action. You just need to conjugate it in the simple present tense, which you probably already know!

Here’s a quick refresher:

Pronoun	Estar Conjugation	English
Yo	estoy	I am
Tú	estás	You are (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	está	He/She/You (formal) is/are
Nosotros/as	estamos	We are
Vosotros/as	estáis	You all are (Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	están	They/You all are

Easy enough, right? This part is always the same. Now for the fun part.

Ingredient 2: The Gerund (Gerundio)

The gerund, or gerundio in Spanish, is the "-ing" part of the verb. In English, we just add "-ing" (walk -> walking). In Spanish, it's almost as simple. You just change the ending of the verb based on whether it’s an -ar, -er, or -ir verb.

Regular -AR Verbs: -ando

For regular -ar verbs, just drop the -ar and add -ando.

• hablarto speak → hablando (speaking)
• cantarto sing → cantando (singing)
• trabajarto work → trabajando (working)

Regular -ER and -IR Verbs: -iendo

For regular -er and -ir verbs, you drop the ending and add -iendo.

• comerto eat → comiendo (eating)
• beberto drink → bebiendo (drinking)
• vivirto live → viviendo (living)
• escribirto write → escribiendo (writing)

The Irregulars (Don't Worry, They're Easy!)

Of course, it's Spanish, so there are a few irregulars! But they follow predictable patterns.

1. The "Y" Verbs (Vowel Stems)

When the stem of an -er or -ir verb ends in a vowel, the -iendo changes to -yendo. This is just to make it easier to say!

• leerto read → le- + -iendo → leyendo (reading)
• oírto hear → o- + -iendo → oyendo (hearing)
• creerto believe → cre- + -iendo → creyendo (believing)
• construirto build → constru- + -iendo → construyendo (building)
• irto go → yendo (going) - This one is super irregular, but follows the "y" sound.

2. Stem-Changing -IR Verbs

Some -ir verbs that have a stem change in the present tense (like e→ie or o→ue) also have a small, simple change in the gerund.

• e → i:

  • decirto say → diciendo (saying)
  • pedirto ask for → pidiendo (asking for)
  • servirto serve → sirviendo (serving)
  • repetirto repeat → repitiendo (repeating)

• o → u:

  • dormirto sleep → durmiendo (sleeping)
  • morirto die → muriendo (dying)

Focus on the action: you are now forming gerunds!

Putting It All Together: Let's Make Some Sentences!

Now we just combine our two ingredients: Subject + Conjugated Estar + Gerund.

• (Yo) estoy trabajando en la oficina. (I am working in the office.)
• ¿Tú estás escuchando música? (Are you listening to music?)
• Mi gato está durmiendo en el sofá. (My cat is sleeping on the sofa.)
• Nosotros estamos aprendiendo español. (We are learning Spanish.)
• Ellos están leyendo los mismos libros. (They are reading the same books.)

See? Once you have the two parts, you just snap them together.

When to Use It (and Crucially, When Not To!)

The present progressive is only for actions happening right now.

This is the most important part. In English, we use the present progressive all the time. In Spanish, it’s much more specific.

USE IT FOR: Actions happening RIGHT NOW. The action is currently in progress, unfolding at this very second.

• ¡Silencio, por favor! El bebé está durmiendo. (Quiet, please! The baby is sleeping [right now].)
• No puedo hablar ahora, estoy conduciendo. (I can't talk now, I'm driving [at this moment].)
• ¿Qué estás haciendo? (What are you doing [right this second]?)

DO NOT USE IT FOR: Future plans.

This is a huge difference from English. We often say things like, "I'm meeting friends tomorrow." In Spanish, this is incorrect.

To talk about the near future in Spanish, you should use the simple present (Ceno...) or ir + a + infinitive (Voy a cenar...). Using the present progressive for the future is a dead giveaway that you're an English speaker!

What About Pronouns? (me, te, lo, la, etc.)

What if you want to say "I am showering" or "He is reading it"? Where does the pronoun go? You have two correct options!

1. Before estar: Place the pronoun before the conjugated verb estar.
2. Attached to the gerund: Glue the pronoun to the end of the gerund.

Let’s see it in action with the reflexive verb ducharseto shower.

• Option 1: Me estoy duchando.
• Option 2: Estoy duchándome.

Both mean exactly the same thing: "I am showering."

Here's another example with the direct object pronoun loit (masculine). Let's say we're talking about reading a book (el libro).

• Option 1: Lo estoy leyendo.
• Option 2: Estoy leyéndolo.

Let's Review

You've learned a ton! Let's boil it down to the key takeaways:

• The Present Progressive describes actions happening right now.
• The formula is simple: estar + gerund (-ando/-iendo).
• Remember the irregular gerunds, especially the "y" verbs (leyendo) and stem-changers (durmiendo, pidiendo).
• NEVER use it to talk about future plans. That's a common English mistake.
• Pronouns can go before estar or be attached to the gerund (with an accent!).

This tense will make your Spanish sound much more dynamic and alive. Start listening for it in conversations and movies, and try using it to describe what's happening around you. ¡Estás aprendiendo muy rápido! (You are learning very fast!)