Forming the Present Gerund
The present gerund (gerundio semplice) is the Italian equivalent of the English "-ing" verb form. To form it, drop the infinitive ending and add the appropriate suffix:
- -ando for -are verbs (e.g., sottolineare -> sottolineando)
- -endo for -ere and -ire verbs (e.g., riassumere -> riassumendo)
A few common verbs use older irregular stems with regular endings, including fare (facendo), dire (dicendo), bere (bevendo), and essere (essendo).
Expressing Means, Manner, and Time
You can use the gerund independently to explain how, why, or under what circumstances an action occurs. It frequently translates to "by doing" or "while doing" something.
The subject of the gerund must always be the same as the subject of the main verb.
| You can understand the text better by summarizing the notes. | Puoi capire meglio il testo riassumendo gli appunti. |
| The student learns by underlining and making an outline. | Lo studente impara sottolineando e facendo uno schema. |
| Reviewing for the exam, we found a big mistake. | Ripassando per l'esame, abbiamo trovato un grande errore. |
Reflexive Pronouns, Negation, and Cause
For reflexive verbs (like concentrarsi or distrarsi), the pronoun attaches directly to the end of the gerund (concentrando + si = concentrandosi).
To make a gerund negative, place non directly in front of it.
The gerund can also express the cause of an action, translating to "since" or "because."
| By concentrating, the student makes fewer mistakes. | Concentrandosi, lo studente fa meno errori. |
| By not concentrating, the girl fell asleep while studying. | Non concentrandosi, la ragazza si è addormentata studiando. |
| Being tired, I got distracted reading the notes. | Essendo stanco, mi sono distratto leggendo gli appunti. |
