The gerund does not only pair with estar. Spanish has a family of verb + gerund combinations, called periphrastic constructions, that add a layer of meaning about how or for how long an action unfolds. The four most common are seguir, ir, andar, and llevar.
Seguir + Gerund: "Keep Doing"
Seguir + gerund means to keep doing, to still be doing, or to continue doing. The emphasis is on the action not having stopped.
¿Todavía sigues trabajando en esa empresa?
Are you still working at that company?
The verb continuar works the same way: continúo estudiando has the same meaning as sigo estudiando, though seguir is more common in everyday speech.
Ir + Gerund: "Gradually Doing"
Ir + gerund describes an action that unfolds gradually, bit by bit, with a clear sense of progression over time. It is the grammatical equivalent of saying little by little or progressively.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| va mejorando | it is gradually improving |
| se va acostumbrando | he is slowly getting used to it |
| vamos avanzando | we are making progress (little by little) |
El paciente va mejorando día a día.
The patient is gradually improving day by day.
Poco a poco voy entendiendo la gramática.
Little by little I am starting to understand the grammar.
Contrast this with estar + gerund, which simply describes an action in progress at one moment. Estoy mejorando means I am improving (right now), while voy mejorando adds the sense of a slow, visible trajectory.
Andar + Gerund: "Going Around Doing"
Andar + gerund describes an action that happens repeatedly or scattered in time, often with a slightly negative or gossipy flavor. It suggests moving from place to place or situation to situation while doing something.
Anda quejándose de todo.
He goes around complaining about everything.
Andan diciendo que te vas a mudar.
People are going around saying you are going to move.
Ando buscando un apartamento nuevo.
I have been looking around for a new apartment.
The tone of andar + gerund is conversational. It often implies the speaker has noticed the action repeatedly or finds it slightly annoying. It is very common in Latin American speech.
Llevar + Time + Gerund: "Have Been Doing"
This is one of the most useful patterns for English speakers, because it replaces the English present perfect progressive (have been doing).
The formula is:
llevar (conjugated) + time expression + gerund
Llevo tres años estudiando español.
I have been studying Spanish for three years.
Llevamos dos horas esperando el autobús.
We have been waiting for the bus for two hours.
¿Cuánto tiempo llevas viviendo en México?
How long have you been living in Mexico?
Notice that Spanish uses the present tense of llevar even though English uses have been. This is because in Spanish the action is still going on, so it is framed in the present.
| Spanish pattern | English equivalent |
|---|---|
| llevo + time + gerund | I have been ___ing for + time |
| llevas + time + gerund | you have been ___ing for + time |
| lleva + time + gerund | he/she has been ___ing for + time |
| llevamos + time + gerund | we have been ___ing for + time |
| llevan + time + gerund | they have been ___ing for + time |
Venir + Gerund: A Useful Extra
Though the main four are seguir, ir, andar, and llevar, there is one more worth knowing: venir + gerund, which expresses an action that has been building up from the past toward the present.
Vengo diciéndote esto desde hace meses.
I have been telling you this for months.
Think of venir + gerund as "I come doing this" — the action has been traveling with you to the present moment.
For the broader picture of when the gerund is appropriate at all, see Gerund Usage and Restrictions.
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.
- Other Verbs with Gerunds (Seguir, Ir, Andar, Llevar)B2 — Beyond estar, several verbs pair with a gerund to express continuation, gradual change, or duration.