The Present Continuous
To talk about actions that are happening right now (like "I am sweeping" or "They are running"), Spanish uses the present continuous tense. You form it by combining the present tense of the verb estar (to be) with a present participle (the Spanish equivalent of an English "-ing" word).
First, here is a quick reminder of how to conjugate estar:
| yo | estoy |
| tú | estás |
| él / ella / usted | está |
| nosotros / nosotras | estamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | estáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | están |
Forming the Present Participle
To create a regular present participle, start by dropping the -ar, -er, or -ir ending from the unconjugated verb (the infinitive).
- For -ar verbs, add -ando (for example, pintar becomes pintando).
- For -er and -ir verbs, add -iendo (for example, barrer becomes barriendo, and correr becomes corriendo).
Combine your conjugated form of estar with this new word to describe ongoing actions:
| We are painting the wall. | Estamos pintando la pared. |
| I am sweeping the kitchen floor. | Estoy barriendo el suelo de la cocina. |
| The boys are running in the park. | Los chicos están corriendo en el parque. |
Questions, Negatives, and Weather
The present continuous works exactly like standard sentences when asking questions or making negative statements. To make a negative sentence, simply place no immediately before the verb estar.
You will also frequently use this structure to describe the weather right now, such as when it is raining (llover becomes lloviendo).
| Are you playing the video game on the television? | ¿Estás jugando al videojuego en la televisión? |
| I am not painting, I am sweeping. | No estoy pintando, estoy barriendo. |
| It is raining and the child is crying. | Está lloviendo y el niño está llorando. |
