Estar is the most common auxiliary for the progressive, but it is not the only one. Spanish has a small family of verbs that combine with a gerund to add extra meaning: continuation, gradual change, wandering activity, or duration over time. Each one shifts the flavor of the sentence in a different direction.
Seguir + Gerund (Keep Doing)
Seguir (to follow, to continue) plus a gerund means to keep doing or to still be doing something. The emphasis is on the action not having stopped.
¿Sigues trabajando en la misma empresa?
Are you still working at the same company?
Aún siguen buscando una solución.
They are still looking for a solution.
The verb continuar works the same way and is slightly more formal: Continuamos trabajando.
Ir + Gerund (Gradual Progression)
Ir plus a gerund expresses gradual, step-by-step progress. It suggests that the action is unfolding little by little, often building up over time.
La situación va mejorando poco a poco.
The situation is gradually improving.
Voy entendiendo mejor la gramática.
I am coming to understand the grammar better.
Notice how translations often add phrases like gradually, little by little, or coming to to capture the slow-build meaning. Compare Aprendo (I learn) with Voy aprendiendo (I am gradually learning).
Andar + Gerund (Going Around Doing)
Andar (to walk, to go) plus a gerund is colloquial and evocative. It paints a picture of somebody going around doing something, often with a hint of criticism, gossip, or restlessness.
Anda diciendo cosas raras sobre nosotros.
He is going around saying weird things about us.
Siempre anda buscando problemas.
She is always looking for trouble.
Andamos pensando en mudarnos.
We have been (kicking around the idea of) moving.
This construction is very common in spoken Latin American Spanish. It sounds informal, so it fits casual conversation better than formal writing.
Llevar + Time + Gerund (Have Been Doing For)
Llevar with a time expression and a gerund is the go-to way to say have been doing something for a period of time. English uses the present perfect progressive, but Spanish uses the simple present of llevar.
llevar (present) + time + gerund
Llevo dos años estudiando español.
I have been studying Spanish for two years.
Llevamos una hora esperando el autobús.
We have been waiting for the bus for an hour.
Lleva meses trabajando en ese proyecto.
She has been working on that project for months.
Quick Comparison
| Construction | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| estar + gerund | happening right now | Está lloviendo. |
| seguir + gerund | keep on / still doing | Sigue lloviendo. |
| ir + gerund | gradual progression | Va mejorando el tiempo. |
| andar + gerund | going around doing | Anda quejándose. |
| llevar + time + gerund | duration up to now | Llevo una hora leyendo. |
Choose the construction based on the nuance you want: continuation, gradual change, wandering activity, or total duration. They all build on the gerund you already know.
Related Topics
- Formation (Estar + Gerund)A2 — Form the present progressive by conjugating estar in the present and adding the invariable gerund.
- 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.