Spanish Grammar Bank
CONTINUOUS TENSE IN SPANISH
The Continuous Tense in Spanish, referred to as Perífrasis de Gerundio is a grammatical construction that is used to refer to actions, processes, or states that are ongoing at a given moment (past, present or future).
It is constructed using an auxiliary verb followed by a gerund of the main verb.
PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE CONTINUOUS
The Continuous Tense in Spanish is formed by using an auxiliary verb – the main ones being estar, ir, venir and andar – followed by the gerund of the main verb (ending in –ando or –iendo forms).
The auxiliary verb will provide aspectual nuances to the action being described.
The Continuous Tense expresses actions that are happening right now or were happening at a specific moment in the past or will be happening in the future.
Present Continuous (Presente Progresivo)
PATTERN
Auxiliary verb (present tense) + Gerund of the main verb ending in –ando or –iendo forms
| spanish | english |
|---|---|
| Estoy desayunando. | I am having breakfast. |
| Él está hablando con su jefe. | He is talking to his boss. |
| Tú vas aprendiendo cada día más. | You are learning more each day. |
| Los estudiantes van entendiendo las lecciones. | The students are understanding the lessons. |
| Nosotros venimos investigando lo ocurrido. | We have been investigating what has happened. |
| Ellos vienen improvisando desde hace tiempo. | They have been improvising since long ago. |
BONUS || Learn more about Spanish Present Tense in this free lesson.
Past Continuous (Pretérito Imperfecto Progresivo)
PATTERN
Auxiliary verb (imperfect tense) + Gerund of the main verb ending in –ando or –iendo forms
| spanish | english |
|---|---|
| Estaba cenando cuando me llamaste. | I was having dinner when you called. |
| Tu venías pensando en ello desde ayer. | You were thinking about it since yesterday. |
| Ella estaba durmiendo la siesta. | She was taking a nap. |
| Los alumnos venían estudiando más últimamente. | The students had been studying more lately. |
| Ellos andaban molestando al resto de la clase. | They were going around bothering the rest of the class. |
| Los atletas iban mejorando después de cada entrenamiento. | The athletes were improving after each training. |
BONUS || Learn more about Spanish Past Tense in this free lesson.
Future Continuous (Futuro Progresivo)
PATTERN
Auxiliary verb (future tense) + Gerund of the main verb ending in –ando or –iendo forms
| spanish | english |
|---|---|
| Estaré trabajando cuando os vayáis a comer. | I will be working when you go for lunch. |
| Tu irás pensando en ello de camino a casa. | You will be thinking about it on your way home. |
| Los niños estarán durmiendo cuando llames esta noche. | The children will be sleeping when you call this evening. |
| Los niños irán enseñando sus jugetes nuevos estas Navidades. | The children will be showing their new toys this Christmas. |
| Ustedes vendrán insistiendo hasta conseguirlo. | You will be insisting until you achieve it. |
| Vosotros estaréis disfrutando del fin de semana. | You will be enjoying the weekend. |
BONUS || Learn more about Spanish Future Tense in this free lesson.
AUXILIARY VERBS IN CONTINUOUS TENSE
Although the most frequently used auxiliary verb in the Continuous Tense in Spanish is estar (together with the gerund of the main verb), there are other auxiliary verbs that are commonly used as well, such as ir, venir and andar.
When used in the Continuous Tense, these verbs change from their usual meanings and instead add a sense of ongoing action to what is being described.
PATTERN
Estar + Gerund of the main verb ending in –ando or –iendo
This structure refers to a situation that is in the process of being developed, meaning that the action is undergoing, it has started but has not yet been concluded.
This particular auxiliary verb, when used as part of a Continuous Tense construction, conveys a progressive aspect to the action being described.
| Ella está estudiando la carrera de medicina. | She is studying for a medical degree. |
| Juan y sus amigos están disfrutando de sus vacaciones de verano. | Juan and his friends are enjoying their summer vacation. |
PATTERN
Ir + Gerund of the main verb ending in –ando or –iendo
This grammatical construction expresses the idea that the process is carried out in successive stages, that can be cumulative until an end is reached.
This particular auxiliary verb, when used as part of a Continuous Tense construction, conveys a progressive and cumulative aspect to the action being described, a sense of gradual progress.
| El barco iba alejándose poco a poco. | The boat was little by little getting further away. |
| Mientras llovía, yo iba andando a casa. | While it was raining, I was walking home. |
PATTERN
Venir + Gerund of the main verb ending in -ando or -iendo
This grammatical construction describes a process that develops from a retrospective situation, indicating that an ongoing action has been happening over time.
| Venimos buscando piso para alquilar desde hace semanas. | We have been looking for an apartment to lease for weeks. |
| Seguro que vendrás diciendo que no te hemos avisado. | For sure you will be saying that we did not warn you. |
PATTERN
Andar + Gerund of the main verb ending in -ando or -iendo
This grammatical construction refers to situations carried out intermittently or with interruptions.
This particular auxiliary verb, when used as part of a Continuous Tense construction, gives the action being described a sense of being frequent or habitual.
| La profesora andaba preguntando por ti. | The teacher has been asking for you. |
| Ella anda diciendo que saca buenas notas. | She is going around saying that she gets good grades. |
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FAQs
How to use Spanish present continuous tense?
The structure to make a sentence in the present continuous tense in Spanish is:
Auxiliary verb (present tense) + Gerund of the main verb ending in –ando or –iendo forms
Estoy desayunando. I am having breakfast.
Él está hablando con su jefe. He is talking to his boss.
How to use Spanish past continuous tense?
The structure to make a sentence in the past continuous tense in Spanish is:
Auxiliary verb (imperfect tense) + Gerund of the main verb ending in –ando or –iendo forms
Estaba cenando cuando me llamaste. I was having dinner when you called.
Tu venías pensando en ello desde ayer. You were thinking about it since yesterday.
How to use Spanish future continuous tense?
The structure to make a sentence in the future continuous tense in Spanish is:
Auxiliary verb (future tense) + Gerund of the main verb ending in –ando or –iendo forms
Estaré trabajando cuando os vayáis a comer. I will be working when you go for lunch.
Tu irás pensando en ello de camino a casa. You will be thinking about it on your way home.
What is an auxiliary verb in Spanish?
An auxiliary verb in Spanish, or verbo auxiliar, is a verb that is used alongside a main verb to form various tenses, moods, or voices.
Some examples of auxiliary verbs are: haber (to have), estar (to be), ser (to be).
Is Spanish SOV or SVO?
Spanish is a SVO, meaning the basic sentence structure follows the pattern:
Subject + Verb + Object
Learn more in our lesson about Spanish sentence structures.
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