Spanish Gerund Following Verbs Other Than Estar

The Spanish gerund — the verb form ending in -ando or -iendo — is used frequently with forms of estar to form the progressive tenses. However, it can also be used with other verbs, sometimes with meanings that are similar to the progressive tenses. Verbs Often Used With the Gerund Here are some of the most common verbs that can be followed by the gerund: Seguir or Continuar These verbs typically mean to keep on or to continue. With this usage, the two verbs are generally interchangeable with little difference in meaning. Sony sigue hablando mal del plasma, mientras sigue lanzando televisores LCD. (Sony keeps on speaking poorly of plasma while it keeps on releasing LCD televisions.)Venezuela continuarà ¡ comprando cemento cubano. (Venezuela will keep on buying Cuban cement.)Muchas veces seguimos durmiendo mà ¡s de lo que deberà ­amos. (Many times we continue sleeping longer than we should.)Las cuatro continuaban peleando y un hombre que se movilizaba en una motocicleta aprovechà ³ para robarles. (The four kept on fighting and a man on a motorcycle took advantage of the situation to rob them.) Andar Although standing alone andar typically means to walk, when followed by a gerund it means roughly the same as to go around doing something in a rather pointless or unproductive fashion. If youre translating to English, the translation can vary considerably with context. Andar generally has a negative connotation when used this way. Descubrà ­ el foro porque andaba navegando en Internet. (I discovered the forum because I was browsing around the Internet.)Katy anda comiendo todo el dà ­a. (Katy goes around eating all day.)Tà º sabes que todos andamos buscando una vida que satisfaga. (You know that all of us spend our time looking for a satisfying life.) Ir Sometimes, ir is used in the same way as andar, above. But it usually doesnt have the negative connotation. In fact, it usually suggests that the action in progress is proceeding gradually or steadily. Again, translations of ir followed by the Spanish gerund can vary with the context. Vamos estudiando mejor la situacià ³n real del pueblo. (We are coming to study better the real situation of the people.)Fueron comprando trozo a trozo el terreno durante un proceso de unos quince aà ±os mà ¡s o menos. (They went about buying the land one piece at a time during a process that lasted 15 years more or less.)Los estudiantes van ganando influencia. (The students are steadily gaining influence.) Venir Followed with a gerund, venir often refers to something that has been occurring for a long time and is still continuing. It sometimes conveys frustration that the action isnt complete. As in the first two examples below, it is often used to indicate how long something has been occurring. En los à ºltimos aà ±os, se viene hablando de liderazgo. (In recent years, much has been spoken about leadership.)Hace seis meses que viene probando suerte como modelo en Parà ­s. (For the past six months she has been trying her luck as a model in Paris.)Vienen diciendome que no soy normal. (They have been telling me that Im not normal.) Following Other Verbs With Gerunds In general, most verbs can be followed by a gerund as a way of indicating how the first verbs action in performed. In effect, the gerund functions much as an adverb. In many cases, sentences using a gerund in this way cant be translated word for word.. A few examples: Empezamos escuchando y terminamos entendiendo todo. (We begin by listening and finish by understanding everything.)De pronto nos encontramos escribiendo una nueva historia. (Suddenly we found ourselves writing a new story.)Antonio miraba estudiando todos mis movimientos. (Antonio watched me, studying all of my movements.)Buscamos en su Instagram unos fotos donde aparezcas sonriendo. (We are searching on your Instagram feed for photos where you appear to be smiling.)  Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¡Ella perdià ³ 12 kilos bebiendo este jugo milagroso!! (She lost 12 kilograms by drinking this miracle juice!) Key Takeaways The gerund is used most often with estar to form the progressive or continuous tenses.It can also be used with several other verbs, among them seguir and continuar, to convey an idea similar to a progressive tense.In other situations, the gerund can function much like an adverb in modifying or explaining the meaning of another verb.