PRESENT PROGRESSIVE IN SPANISH (I)

By Nibaldo Calvo Buides

In English, the present progressive is formed by combining the verb "to be" with the present participle. (The present participle is merely the "-ing" form of a verb.)

Example:

I am eating.
I am eating with Robert tonight.

Peter is walking.
Peter is walking with us later.

We are running.
We are running together at 9:00 p.m.

 

To form the present progressive in Spanish, combine a form of "estar" with the present participle.

Before to continue, you have to remember how to conjugate the verb estar:

Yo estoy ( I am)

 Tú estás (You are).

Usted está (You are)

Él/ Ella  está (He/She is)

Nosotros  estamos (we are)

Ustedes están (You are)

Ellos/ Ellas están (They are).

 

To form the present participle of regular -ar verbs, add -ando to the stem of the verb.

Ejemplos:

Yo estoy caminando (caminar).

 I am walking.

 Ellos están hablando (hablar) en la clase.

 They are talking in the class.

 

 To form the present participle of regular -er and -ir verbs, add -iendo to the stem of the verb.
Ejemplos:

Ella está comiendo (comer) pescado.

She is eating fish.

 

Nosotros estamos viviendo (vivir) en  Cuba.

We are living in Cuba.

 

• In Spanish, the present progressive is only used to describe an action that is in the process of taking place. It is not used for future actions.