Most Spanish gerunds are perfectly regular, but two groups of verbs require extra attention: stem-changing -ir verbs and verbs whose stem ends in a vowel. Both groups follow predictable patterns, so once you recognize them, the irregular gerunds become easy to produce.
Stem-Changing -ir Verbs
Only -ir verbs with a stem change in the present tense also change their stem in the gerund. The change is always the same pattern:
- e becomes i
- o becomes u
Then the normal ending -iendo is added.
| Infinitive | Meaning | Stem change | Gerund |
|---|---|---|---|
| dormir | to sleep | o → u | durmiendo |
| morir | to die | o → u | muriendo |
| pedir | to ask for | e → i | pidiendo |
| servir | to serve | e → i | sirviendo |
| repetir | to repeat | e → i | repitiendo |
| seguir | to follow | e → i | siguiendo |
| sentir | to feel | e → i | sintiendo |
| mentir | to lie | e → i | mintiendo |
| venir | to come | e → i | viniendo |
| decir | to say | e → i | diciendo |
| preferir | to prefer | e → i | prefiriendo |
Ella está pidiendo un café con leche.
She is ordering a coffee with milk.
Estoy viniendo de la oficina ahora mismo.
I am coming from the office right now.
Vowel Stems: -iendo Becomes -yendo
When the stem of an -er or -ir verb ends in a vowel, the -i- of -iendo is caught between two vowels. Spanish spelling rules turn that unstressed i into a y, producing -yendo.
| Infinitive | Meaning | Stem | Gerund |
|---|---|---|---|
| leer | to read | le- | leyendo |
| creer | to believe | cre- | creyendo |
| caer | to fall | ca- | cayendo |
| traer | to bring | tra- | trayendo |
| oír | to hear | o- | oyendo |
| huir | to flee | hu- | huyendo |
| construir | to build | constru- | construyendo |
| destruir | to destroy | destru- | destruyendo |
| incluir | to include | inclu- | incluyendo |
| ir | to go | — | yendo |
Mi papá está leyendo el periódico en la sala.
My dad is reading the paper in the living room.
Están construyendo un edificio enorme en la esquina.
They are building a huge building on the corner.
El ladrón salió huyendo por la puerta trasera.
The thief ran off through the back door.
A Special Case: Poder
The verb poder (to be able to) has an irregular gerund too: pudiendo. Notice it follows the o to u pattern even though poder is an -er verb, not -ir. It is one of the few non--ir verbs to change its stem in the gerund, and it appears mostly in adverbial constructions rather than with estar.
No pudiendo resolver el problema solo, llamó a un amigo.
Not being able to solve the problem alone, he called a friend.
Putting It Together
The good news is that these two patterns cover almost every irregular gerund you will meet. Regular verbs take -ando or -iendo, stem-changing -ir verbs raise their vowel, and vowel-stem verbs write -yendo. Everything else is regular.
Next, look at Gerund Usage and Restrictions to see how these forms are used and, just as important, where Spanish does not allow a gerund at all.
Related Topics
- Gerund FormationA2 — Build the Spanish gerund by adding -ando to -ar verbs and -iendo to -er and -ir verbs, always invariable.
- Gerund Usage and RestrictionsB1 — The Spanish gerund describes actions in progress or adverbial manner but cannot be used as an adjective, a noun, or after prepositions.
- Irregular GerundsA2 — Stem-changing -ir verbs and verbs with a vowel before the ending form special gerunds like durmiendo, pidiendo, and leyendo.