El ascensor sube lentamente.

slowly

Breakdown of El ascensor sube lentamente.

• subir: to go up
• el ascensor: the elevator

Questions & Answers about El ascensor sube lentamente.

Why is sube (simple present) used instead of a progressive form like “is going up”?

In Spanish the presente de indicativo often covers both habitual actions and actions happening right now. Unlike English, you don’t need a special “is + –ing” form to say something is occurring at the moment. So:

• El ascensor sube lentamente → “The elevator goes up slowly” / “The elevator is going up slowly.”
  If you want to stress the ongoing nature, you can still use the progressive (see next question).

When should I use está subiendo (present progressive) instead of sube?

Use estar + gerundio when you want to emphasize that the action is in progress right now. For example:

• El ascensor está subiendo lentamente.
  This highlights “right now” more clearly, but the simple present (sube) is perfectly normal for the same idea.

What is lentamente and how do you form adverbs in Spanish?

lentamente is an adverb of manner, meaning “slowly.” In Spanish most adverbs of manner are formed by:

1. Taking the feminine adjective: lenta
2. Adding -mente → lentamente
   That adverb then modifies the verb sube.

Can I say sube lento or instead of ?