Quote:
Originally Posted by ElDanés
- Estoy comiendo. = I am eating.
- Como. = I eat.
In English there is no difference, but does that also apply to Spanish?
Are the two sentences interchangeable?
I guess the first is intransitive. But is that the only difference?
¡Gracias! |
There is no gerund in these sentences. A gerund is a verbal that ends in -ing, but functions as a noun.
There is a difference between the sentences you've posted, in both languages.
In the first Spanish sentence, you used the present progressive tense (estar + present participle). (The present participle looks like a gerund, but it functions as a verb.) While it is true that this sentence is translated as
I am eating, we English speakers tend to overuse it in Spanish. That is because we often use the present progressive (or present continuous) tense to describe current action. But, the Spanish speaker uses the present indicative tense to do that (not the present progressive). The Spanish present progressive tense means 'I am currently in the process of something (and was just interrupted)'. So,
estoy comiendo is usually said between bites, and the connotation is 'Can't you see that I'm eating?'
The present indicative tense, used in the second Spanish sentence you wrote, is also translated as
I am eating. This is the tense that you should use if you're enjoying breakfast and asking someone if they'd like to join you:
Como el desayuno. ¿Quieres algo? This is the tense that often corresponds to the English present progressive. This tense is also used to refer to a (near) future event:
Me acuesto a las once y sueño contigo en seguida.
The second English sentence you wrote is in the present simple tense, only used to describe habits or routines. If you are currently eating, you never say
I eat. That requires the present progressive tense. If you normally eat breakfast, it's OK to say
I eat breakfast. If you usually eat the same thing, or if you eat at the same time everyday, you can say
I eat cereal for breakfast, or
I eat breakfast before I shower. In both of these cases, the Spanish present indicative verb is used.
I believe María was trying to communicate the same thing. The sentences are not equivalents.
Transitive verbs take an object (direct and/or indirect).
Dar is an example of a verb that can have both types of objects:
Te doy un libro. (I give you a book (each year for your birthday). | I'm giving you a book (it's in my hand, take it). | I'll give you a book (in a moment, same as "I'm giving you a book soon.").)
Intransitive verbs don't have an object:
Él duerme. (He's sleeping.)
Duermo toda la noche. (I sleep all night long.)
Comer can be both intransitive and transitive.
Here are some intransitive examples:
Como. (I'm eating.)
Como todos los días. (I eat every day.)
Here it is transitive:
Como una manzana. (I'm eating an apple.)
Como manzanas. (I eat apples.)