Going around doing something (andar...)

Going Around Doing Something

When an action happens repeatedly or in a scattered, unstructured way, Spanish uses the verb andar followed by a gerund (the -ando or -iendo form).

This structure translates well to "going around doing something." It is especially common when complaining about frustrating habits, like an absent-minded person constantly misplacing their things.

Searching and Rummaging

Because andar implies moving around without a strict path, it pairs perfectly with verbs for searching, especially when you are frantically looking through a messy room.

In the Past

You can use this structure in the past to describe a scattered action that took place over a specific period of time. Just remember that andar has a highly irregular preterite tense.