Mi hermano anda tocando el cable de la lámpara y me pone nervioso.

my

Breakdown of Mi hermano anda tocando el cable de la lámpara y me pone nervioso.

• me: me
• y: and
• de: of

Questions & Answers about Mi hermano anda tocando el cable de la lámpara y me pone nervioso.

Why does the sentence use anda tocando instead of está tocando?

Both are possible, but they do not sound exactly the same.

• está tocando = a neutral progressive: he is touching / messing with it right now
• anda tocando = often suggests someone is going around doing something, often repeatedly, casually, or in a way the speaker finds annoying

So Mi hermano anda tocando el cable... can sound a bit like:

• My brother keeps messing with the lamp cable
• My brother is there fiddling with the lamp cable

In Spain, andar + gerund is very common for this kind of nuance.

What exactly does andar + gerundio mean?

Andar + gerundio is a verbal structure that often expresses an action that is:

• ongoing
• repeated
• somewhat casual, aimless, or irritating
• sometimes spread over a period of time rather than just one exact moment

Examples:

• Anda diciendo tonterías. = He goes around saying stupid things.
• Ando buscando mis llaves. = I’m looking for my keys / I’ve been looking for my keys.

In your sentence, it makes the brother sound like he is fiddling around with the cable, not just touching it once.

Does tocando here mean touching or ?