Thematic Vocabulary
Infinitive and Regular Verb Use
In English the present progressive tense is often used to indicate that something is in progress or ongoing. If the present tense is used to state “I bathe” it has a slightly different meaning than if the present progressive tense is used: “I am bathing.” The understood meaning of the present progressive tense is that the action of the verb is happening at that point in time. There are other cases in English sentences where the present progressive tense indicates that the action of the verb is not necessarily occurring at that exact moment of time, but rather is an ongoing process that is much like the present tense. For example, “He is studying French” has the same basic meaning as “He studies French.” But if one asks what he is doing right now it would also be appropriate to use the present progressive to answer: “He is studying French.”
Spanish use the present progressive similarly. The present progressive tense is also created in Spanish the same as it is in English. This makes the present progressive tense very easy to learn and understand.
To use a verb in the present progressive tense, you must first conjugate the verb estar to go with the subject. Then you use the present participle form of the main verb. The present participle in Spanish ends in - ando (for - ar verbs) or - iendo (for both - er and - ir verbs) and is the equivalent of an English verb ending in -ing. For example: Juan estudia (John studies) is the present tense. Juan está estudiando (John is studying) is the present progressive tense.
An - ir verb that stem changes in the present tense will have an e>i or o>u stem in the present participle form. Here are some examples of -ir verbs:
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All other verbs that stem change in the present tense will not have any stem change in the present participle form.
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If you want to conjugate a verb in the present progressive tense, you are really only conjugating the verb
estar, and adding the exact same present participle form to each of the different forms of
estar. For example, Table
1 shows how the verb
trabajar (to work) is conjugated into the present progressive tense.
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If you read or hear a Spanish sentence in the present progressive and it doesn't “sound right,” it may be that English would have used the present tense, so try thinking of the present tense form of the verb that's in its present participle form and the sentence may be easier for you to understand.
