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Sigo leyendo novelas en español en la biblioteca para ampliar mi vocabulario.

Sigo leyendo novelas en español en la biblioteca para ampliar mi vocabulario.
I keep reading novels in Spanish in the library to expand my vocabulary.
FromLesson 38inHardcore Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Sigo leyendo novelas en español en la biblioteca para ampliar mi vocabulario.

Why does sigo mean I keep / I continue here? What verb is it?

Sigo is the 1st person singular present form of seguir (to follow / to continue). In the structure seguir + gerundio, it commonly means to keep on doing / to continue doing:
Sigo leyendo = I keep reading / I’m still reading.

What exactly is the grammar of sigo leyendo?

It’s the periphrasis (verb phrase) seguir + gerundio:

  • seguir conjugated (here: sigo)
    • gerundio of the main action (here: leyendo from leer)
      It highlights an action that is ongoing or repeated/continued over time.
How is leyendo formed from leer, and why is it irregular?

The gerund of many -er / -ir verbs is -iendo, so from leer you’d expect leiendo, but Spanish changes -e- + -iendo to -yendo to avoid awkward vowel combinations:
leer → leyendo (same pattern as oír → oyendo).

Could I say estoy leyendo instead of sigo leyendo?

Yes, but it changes the nuance:

  • Estoy leyendo novelas… = I am reading (right now / currently).
  • Sigo leyendo novelas… = I keep reading / I’m still reading (emphasis on continuing a habit or ongoing process).
What’s the difference between sigo leyendo and continúo leyendo?
They’re very similar. Continúo leyendo is often slightly more formal or explicit. In everyday Spain Spanish, sigo leyendo is extremely common and natural.
Why is it novelas (plural) and not una novela?
Using novelas suggests a general habit: you read novels in general, not one specific novel. You could say una novela if you mean one particular book, e.g. Sigo leyendo una novela… = I’m continuing to read a (specific) novel.
Does novelas en español mean novels from Spain, or just novels written in Spanish?
Novelas en español means novels written in Spanish (language). If you want “Spanish novels” as in from Spain, you might say novelas españolas, but even that can be ambiguous (author/nationality vs language). En español is the clearest for language.
Why are there two en phrases: en español and en la biblioteca?

They modify different things:

  • novelas en español = novels in Spanish (language)
  • leo … en la biblioteca = I read … in the library (location)
    Spanish often repeats a common preposition like en when each phrase has its own job.
What does en la biblioteca imply—am I reading inside the library, or borrowing from it?
By default, en la biblioteca means physically in the library (location). If you mean borrowing books, you’d more likely add something like de la biblioteca (from the library) or saco libros de la biblioteca (I take books out from the library).
Why is it para ampliar and not por ampliar?

Para + infinitive expresses purpose/goal:
…para ampliar mi vocabulario = in order to expand my vocabulary.
Por + infinitive usually expresses reason/motivation in a more explanatory sense, and it’s less common in this exact “purpose” structure.

Is ampliar mi vocabulario the most natural phrasing? What about aumentar or mejorar?

Ampliar mi vocabulario is very natural and means to broaden/expand.
Alternatives:

  • aumentar mi vocabulario = increase (also fine)
  • mejorar mi vocabulario = improve (slightly different idea)
    If you specifically mean “learn more words,” ampliar fits well.
Why is it mi vocabulario and not el vocabulario?
Because it’s specifically your vocabulary, Spanish commonly uses a possessive: mi vocabulario. You can see el vocabulario in more general statements (e.g., para ampliar el vocabulario = to expand vocabulary in general), but here the personal possessive is the natural choice.
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