Spanish Present Progressive Forms

Subjects | Spanish Notes | Spanish Verbs & Tenses

Introduction

⇒ The Spanish present progressive tense (el presente progresivo), also called the present continuous tense (el presente continuo), is used to talk about something that is happening now.

How to Form the Present Progressive

⇒ The present progressive is generally formed using the verb estar, plus a present participle.

Present Progressive Formula
estar + present participle

⇒ Regular present participles are formed as follows:

  • Present participle of -ar verbs = verb stem + -ando (Example: hablando)
  • Present participle of -er and -ir verbs = verb stem + -iendo (Examples: escribiendo, comiendo)

⇒ Check out these examples of the present progressive:

Estoy hablando con mi madre.
I am speaking to my mother.
Los niños están comiendo en el patio.
The children are eating in the yard.
El abuelo está durmiendo en la sala.
Grandpa is sleeping in the living room.
Marco está escribiendo un ensayo para su clase de español.
Marco writing an essay for his Spanish class.
Estamos cocinando la cena.
We are cooking dinner.

Estar Review

⇒ The present progressive is formed with the present tense of the verb estar (to be).

⇒ Here's an example showing the present progressive of the verb hablar (to speak). Only the estar part of the present progressive changes to match the subject. The present participle (hablando) does not change.

Yo estoy hablando.
I am speaking.
Tú estás hablando.
You are speaking.
Él/Ella está hablando.
He/she is speaking.
Usted está hablando.
You are speaking.
Nosotros estamos hablando.
We are speaking.
Vosotros estáis hablando.
You (all) are speaking.
Ustedes están hablando.
You (all) are speaking.
Ellos/Ellas están hablando.
They are speaking.

Present Progressive and Present Simple

⇒ In both English and Spanish, the present progressive is used to talk about what a subject is doing right now.

⇒ However, it is also possible to use the simple present to talk about what a subject is doing right now in Spanish

⇒ Check out the pair of examples below; the first set uses the present simple, while the second uses the present progressive.

Present Simple

¿Qué haces?
What are you doing?
Limpio la cocina.
I'm cleaning the kitchen.

Present Progressive

¿Qué estás haciendo?
What are you doing?
Estoy limpiando la cocina.
I'm cleaning the kitchen.