How to Say "by working" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “by working” is “trabajando” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Estoy trabajando en mi oficina.
I am working in my office.
Ella pasó toda la tarde trabajando en el proyecto.
She spent the whole afternoon working on the project.
Aprendió mucho trabajando con expertos.
He learned a lot by working with experts.
The Spanish '-ing' Form
'Trabajando' is the Spanish equivalent of adding '-ing' to 'work' in English. It shows that an action is in progress. You'll most often use it with the verb 'estar' to say what is happening right now, like 'Estoy trabajando' (I am working).
Explaining 'How' with '-ando'
Besides talking about actions in progress, you can use 'trabajando' to explain how something is done. For example, 'Gana dinero trabajando' means 'He earns money by working.'
Not a Noun
Mistake: “Me gusta trabajando.”
Correction: Me gusta trabajar. In English, you can say 'I like working,' where 'working' acts like a noun. In Spanish, you can't do this. To talk about an activity in general, always use the full verb form (the infinitive), like 'trabajar'.
Missing 'Estar'
Mistake: “Yo trabajando ahora.”
Correction: Yo estoy trabajando ahora. To say 'I am working,' you need the helper verb 'estar' ('estoy'). Leaving it out is like saying 'I working now' in English—it's incomplete.
Related Translations
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