Question 1

Why doesn't "riendo" have a feminine ending if it was a woman ("She") who answered?

Accepted Answer

Riendo is a gerund (the Spanish equivalent of an "-ing" verb form), not an adjective. In Spanish, gerunds never change their ending to match gender or number. It stays riendo whether it refers to a man, a woman, or a group of people.

Question 2

How do we know "contestó" means "She answered" and not "He answered" or "You (formal) answered"?

Accepted Answer

The verb contestó is the third-person singular form in the past tense (preterite), which can mean "he", "she", or "you (formal)". Without more context, it could be any of those! The translation says "She answered" because it is taken from a wider story where the subject was already established as a woman.

Question 3

The gerund of "reír" is "riendo". Shouldn't there be an "e" in the stem since the infinitive is "reír"?

Accepted Answer

Reír has an irregular gerund. Instead of the regular stem, the e changes to an i, making it riendo rather than "reiendo". This is a common pattern in -ir verbs that have an e in their stem, like decir becoming diciendo or pedir becoming pidiendo.

Question 4

Could we attach "Me" to the end of "riendo" to make "Contestó riéndome"?

Accepted Answer

You can grammatically attach pronouns to a gerund, but it would change the meaning here. The reflexive verb reírse combined with an indirect object can imply laughing at someone. Saying Contestó riéndome would sound like "She answered, laughing at me" rather than just laughing while she answered. Keeping Me at the front ensures it clearly attaches to contestó (She answered me).

Me contestó riendo.

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