SoyGuiri Blog

Gerundio in Spanish: Learn how to use it like a native 🇪🇸

Written by Mónica Jiménez | Apr 25, 2025 8:00:00 AM

The gerundio in Spanish is one of the most fun and practical verb forms 🕺📚. It helps you say what you're doing right now, and it appears everywhere — in conversations, songs, movies... even memes! 🤩

In this guide, you'll learn:

✅ What the gerundio is
✅ How to form it (easy rules!)
✅ How to use it with ESTAR
✅ Fun exercises to master it 🎉

🤔 What is a gerundio in Spanish?

The gerundio is the -ING form in Spanish. Just like walking, eating or studying in English.

🎯 Examples:

hablar → hablando (talking 🗣️)

comer → comiendo (eating 🍽️)

vivir → viviendo (living 🏠)

You’ll mostly use it with the verb estar to describe what’s happening right now ⏱️

🧪 How to form the 'gerundio' in Spanish ✨

Forming the gerundio is super easy! Here’s how it works:

✅ Regular verbs

⚠️ Irregular 'gerundio' verbs in Spanish 

Some verbs change their spelling or vowel to keep pronunciation correct or follow verb stem changes.

🌀 Vowel-changing gerunds (E → I / O → U)

✏️ Spelling changes (for pronunciation)


💡 Pro tip: These spelling changes avoid awkward combinations like 'leiendo' (❌) → 'leyendo' (✅)

⏳ How to use the gerundio in Spanish 🗣️

Use the gerundio with ESTAR to form the present progressive tense — what someone is doing right now.

🧩 Formula: ESTAR + GERUNDIO

📌 Examples:

Estoy estudiando español 📚 ➡️  I am studying Spanish

 

¿Qué estás haciendo ahora? 🤨 ➡️  What are you doing right now?

 

Ellos están jugando al fútbol ⚽ ➡️  They are playing football

 


You can also use the gerundio with other verbs for more advanced expressions:

seguir → Sigo aprendiendo 💡 ➡️ I keep learning

 

llevar → Llevan trabajando juntos dos años 🧑‍💻 ➡️ They have been working together for two years

 

andar → Anda diciendo tonterías 👀 ➡️  He/She keeps saying silly things

🚫 Common mistakes with the gerundio

Let’s clear up the most frequent errors:

❌ Voy hablando con ella mañana
✅ Voy a hablar con ella mañana
➡️ Never use the gerundio to express future actions.

❌ Me gusta cantando
✅ Me gusta cantar
➡️ Use the infinitive after verbs like gustar, querer, poder, etc.

🎯 Summary: Master the 'gerundio' in Spanish

✔️ Use ESTAR + GERUNDIO for actions in progress
✔️ Learn regular and irregular forms
✔️ Practise with real-life sentences and mini quizzes
✔️ Don’t use it for the future or after preference verbs 🚫

✍️ Let’s practise!

1. Rellena los espacios con la forma correcta del GERUNDIO REGULAR

Spanish Gerundio - Regular Verbs Practice

📝 Fill in the blanks with the correct gerund form (regular verbs):

Estoy (hablar) con mi amigo.

Estamos (comer) en el restaurante.

Ella está (bailar) en la fiesta.

Estamos (escribir) un email.

Mi perro está (correr) en el parque.

  

2. Rellena los espacios con la forma correcta del GERUNDIO IRREGULAR

Spanish Gerundio - Irregular Verbs Test

📝 Choose the correct irregular gerundio form:

1️⃣ (decir) Estoy _______ la verdad.

2️⃣ (dormir) Ellos están _______ profundamente.

3️⃣ (leer) Nosotros estamos _______ un artículo interesante.

4️⃣ (venir) Ella está _______ a la reunión.

5️⃣ (servir) El camarero está _______ la cena.

6️⃣ (morir) El héroe está _______ en la batalla.

7️⃣ (oír) Yo estoy _______ música.

8️⃣ (traer) Ellos están _______ los documentos.


 

And you? What are you doing right now? 🕒
Tell us using estar + gerundio in Spanish! 🇪🇸✨

 

 
View full post