The present progressive (presente progresivo) describes actions that are happening right now, at this very moment. It is formed with two pieces: the verb estar conjugated in the present tense, and the gerund (gerundio) of the main verb, which never changes.
The Basic Pattern
The formula is simple and never varies:
estar (conjugated) + gerund (invariable)
The gerund is the Spanish equivalent of English -ing forms. Regular gerunds are built by removing the infinitive ending and adding -ando for -ar verbs or -iendo for -er and -ir verbs.
Estás comiendo demasiado rápido.
You are eating too fast.
Está escribiendo una carta.
He is writing a letter.
Conjugating Estar
Because estar carries the subject information, you only need to conjugate it. The gerund stays the same for every person.
| Subject | Estar | Example (hablar) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | estoy | estoy hablando |
| tú | estás | estás hablando |
| él / ella / usted | está | está hablando |
| nosotros / nosotras | estamos | estamos hablando |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | están | están hablando |
Forming Regular Gerunds
To build a regular gerund, drop the infinitive ending and attach the matching suffix.
| Verb class | Infinitive | Stem | Gerund |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ar | hablar | habl- | hablando |
| -ar | trabajar | trabaj- | trabajando |
| -er | comer | com- | comiendo |
| -er | beber | beb- | bebiendo |
| -ir | vivir | viv- | viviendo |
| -ir | escribir | escrib- | escribiendo |
The gerund is invariable: it never agrees with the subject in gender or number. Ella está estudiando and Ellos están estudiando use exactly the same form estudiando.
Estamos trabajando en el jardín.
We are working in the garden.
Están bebiendo café en la cocina.
They are drinking coffee in the kitchen.
A Quick Contrast
Compare the simple present with the present progressive. In English, we often use -ing even for habits, but Spanish reserves the progressive for actions that are literally in progress right now.
Trabajo en una oficina.
I work in an office. (general)
Estoy trabajando en este momento.
I am working right now. (in progress)
What Comes Next
Not every verb builds its gerund with the regular formula. See Irregular Gerunds for stem-changing -ir verbs and spelling-change cases like leer to leyendo. For the situations where Spanish uses the progressive (and the ones where it does not), see Usage and Restrictions.
Related Topics
- Irregular GerundsA2 — Stem-changing -ir verbs and verbs with a vowel before the ending form special gerunds like durmiendo, pidiendo, and leyendo.
- Usage and RestrictionsA2 — The Spanish progressive is reserved for actions happening right now and avoids near-future meanings and stative verbs.
- Regular -ar VerbsA1 — How to conjugate regular verbs ending in -ar in the present indicative.