How to Say "speaking" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “speaking” is “hablando” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Mi hermana está hablando por teléfono.
My sister is talking on the phone.
Pasamos la noche hablando de nuestros planes.
We spent the night talking about our plans.
Puedes resolver muchos problemas simplemente hablando.
You can solve many problems simply by talking.
Making the '-ing' Form in Spanish
To say an action is happening right now, you almost always use a form of estar (to be) with a verb ending in -ando or -iendo. Hablando is the '-ing' form of hablar (to talk).
More Than Just 'Right Now'
Hablando can also mean 'by speaking' or 'while speaking'. For example, 'Aprendes mucho hablando con la gente' means 'You learn a lot by speaking with people'.
Using '-ando' for Everything
Mistake: “Quiero hablando español.”
Correction: After verbs like 'quiero' (I want) or 'necesito' (I need), use the full verb form: 'Quiero hablar español'. Save `hablando` for actions currently in progress.
Forgetting 'Estar'
Mistake: “Yo hablando con mi amigo.”
Correction: In Spanish, you need the helper verb 'estar' to say an action is in progress. Always say 'Yo estoy hablando con mi amigo' (I am talking with my friend).
Related Translations
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