Gerunds vs. Participles in Spanish.Examples and practice exercises.

The gerundio is a nonfinite verb form that usually expresses an action in progress, an action simultaneous with another action, or the manner in which an action occurs. It often corresponds to the English -ing form, but it is not used as a noun in Spanish.

Form the gerundio by replacing the infinitive ending as follows:

• For verbs ending in -ar, replace the ending with -ando.
• For verbs ending in -er or -ir, replace the ending with -iendo.

Some gerundios have stem changes or spelling changes. Common examples include:

• decir → diciendo
• dormir → durmiendo
• leer → leyendo

Participles, or participios, are nonfinite verb forms that can be used in compound tenses and, in many contexts, as adjectives. Spanish has a past participle (participio), but it does not have a separate grammatical category called the “present participle.” The Spanish gerundio is sometimes loosely translated as “present participle” because it corresponds to the English -ing form, but it is a different Spanish verb form.

Past participles

Regular past participles typically end in -ado for -ar verbs and -ido for -er and -ir verbs. They form perfect tenses with haber and can function as adjectives.

Gerundios and English “present participles”

The Spanish gerundio typically ends in -ando for -ar verbs and -iendo for -er and -ir verbs. It is used mainly in progressive constructions and for simultaneous actions, not as an adjective or noun.

The gerundio expresses an action in progress, an action simultaneous with another action, or the manner in which an action is performed. Its interpretation depends on the context and the main verb.

• Action in progress: It is commonly used with estar to describe an action in progress.
• Simultaneous actions: It can link an action to another action performed at the same time, usually with the same understood subject.
• Expressing manner: It can explain how an action is performed.
• Progressive constructions: Combine it with estar conjugated in the required tense to form present, imperfect, future, and other progressive constructions.
• Means or cause: In some contexts, it can express the means or cause of the main action.
• Reduced clauses: It can shorten a clause when the subject is understood from the surrounding context.
• Fixed phrases: It appears in established expressions with meanings that must be learned as units.

The gerundio should not normally express an action that occurs after the main action or function as a noun or an adjective.

Common structures include:

Past participles, or participios, have several functions in Spanish. They can form compound tenses, function as adjectives, and help form the passive voice. They do not normally function as nouns by themselves; Spanish generally uses an infinitive or another noun for nominalization.

• Compound tenses: The participle combines with the auxiliary verb haber to form perfect tenses. In these constructions, the participle does not agree in gender or number with the subject or object.
• Adjectives: A participle can describe a noun. When it functions as an adjective, it agrees in gender and number with that noun.
• Passive voice: The participle combines with ser to form the passive voice. In this construction, it agrees in gender and number with the passive subject.
• Predicative descriptions: With verbs such as estar, a participle often functions as an adjective describing a resulting state and therefore agrees with the subject.

Placement depends on the role of the participle:

• In compound tenses: The participle follows the auxiliary haber.
• In the passive voice: The participle follows the appropriate form of ser.
• As an adjective: It commonly follows the noun, although adjective placement can vary.
• In predicative descriptions: It follows the linking verb and agrees with the subject.

Gerundios are generally formed with -ando for -ar verbs and -iendo for -er and -ir verbs. Some verbs have stem changes or spelling changes.

Common stem-changing gerundios include:

• decir (to say) → diciendo
• pedir (to request) → pidiendo
• sentir (to feel) → sintiendo
• venir (to come) → viniendo
• poder (to be able to) → pudiendo
• morir (to die) → muriendo
• dormir (to sleep) → durmiendo

Some verbs use -yendo rather than -iendo, usually after a vowel, to preserve the pronunciation. Common examples include:

• leer (to read) → leyendo
• oír (to hear) → oyendo
• ir (to go) → yendo
• caer (to fall) → cayendo
• construir (to build) → construyendo

These forms reflect stem changes or spelling changes rather than a single irregular pattern.

Some frequently used Spanish past participles do not follow the regular -ado or -ido pattern and must be learned individually.

Common irregular participles include:

• abrir → abierto
• decir → dicho
• escribir → escrito
• morir → muerto
• poner → puesto
• resolver → resuelto
• romper → roto
• ver → visto
• volver → vuelto

For comparison, comer has the regular participle comido, whereas escribir has the irregular participle escrito, not escribido.

The forms in the middle column are hypothetical regular formations, not standard Spanish words. Some verbs also have both a regular and an irregular participle with different uses, but the forms listed above are the standard forms for ordinary compound-tense and adjectival use.

The gerundio and the past participle contribute to different verb constructions. The gerundio appears in progressive or other periphrastic constructions, while the participle appears with haber in perfect compound tenses.

With estar, the gerundio expresses an action in progress:

• Estoy corriendo. — I am running.
• Estaba cantando. — I was singing.
• Estarás estudiando. — You will be studying.

With haber, the past participle forms perfect tenses and normally remains invariable:

• He comido. — I have eaten.
• Habías vivido. — You had lived.
• Habrán llegado. — They will have arrived.

The following table compares the two forms:

A common pitfall is confusing the Spanish gerundio with the English gerund. The Spanish gerundio is not normally used as a noun; Spanish uses the infinitive for this function.

• Correr es bueno. — Running is good.

Another frequent error is using the gerundio instead of a participle adjective. The gerundio describes an ongoing action, whereas a participle adjective can describe a state.

• Estoy cansado. — I am tired.
• Me estoy cansando. — I am getting tired.

When a participle functions as an adjective, it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. In a compound tense with haber, however, the participle does not agree with the subject.

• La tarea está terminada. — The assignment is finished.
• He terminado la tarea. — I have finished the assignment.

A further error is confusing a participle adjective with the participle required in a compound tense. Use the appropriate participle form after haber, not an unrelated adjective or noun.

• He completado mis estudios. — I have completed my studies.

These distinctions help prevent errors involving the form, function, and agreement of gerundios and participles.