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Estar+gerundio VS simple presentThis is the place for questions about conjugations, verb tenses, adverbs, adjectives, word order, syntax and other grammar questions for English or Spanish. |
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#1
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Estar+gerundio VS simple present
This is confusing for me:
You use estar+gerundio when you talk about things that happen at the moment when you are speaking and for "presentamos como no definitivas o temporales". Yet since the gerundio doesn't exist in my language, it confuses me. If i say "I'm browsing a site." that's something i'm doing now. So according to the theorie i should use estar+gerundio. But i would just say it in simple present? I've looked at many different sites but i can't find one thats explains it clearly. So can someone help me understand when i should just use presente de indicativo and when estar+gerundio ? Thank you in advance. |
#2
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I think this is difficult for native English speakers as well, since we tend to use "to be" + "gerund" a lot more often than "estar + gerundio" is used in Spanish. I try to keep the following in mind:
- if it is an action that I am in the present habit of doing, I use the present tense verb: "Me despierto temprano en el verano." - if it is an action that I am physically actually doing right this moment, I use the "estar + gerundio" construction: "Me estoy despertando temprano esta mañana para llamar a mi madre." How does this sound to you native speakers?
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- Lou Ann, de Washington, DC, USA Específicamente quiero recibir ayuda con el español de latinoamerica. ¡Muchísimas gracias! |
#3
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It's still difficult to understand but I'm trying to keep in mind that gerundio is when you are physically doing it at the moment.
I hope with some practice I'll understand it better, thank you! |
#4
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Quote:
You seem to understand the concept (be +verb+ing) very well in English. It shouldn't be so difficult in Spanish, then. I am watching TV - Estoy viendo (la) tele. What are you doing? - I am watching TV/I watch TV --Estoy viendo (la) tele - Veo (la) tele. Last edited by chileno; June 22, 2011 at 07:49 AM. |
#5
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This is not my cup of tea and I'm not saying I manage it in English either, but I think that it is similar to English usage of present simple and present progressive. The difference is that when you are using the verbal phrase "ser + gerundio" in Spanish you should be able to see the action happening or to describe it happening as if you were there watching it.
The roof is falling apart ---> El techo se está cayendo [if indeed it is falling apart right now] ---> El techo (está en mal estado/está a punto de caerse/está que se cae/se viene abajo) [if it is in bad shape] Something is going wrong ---> Algo anda mal [Spanish chooses a verb that describes on going actions, but you can't watch or describe an undetermined "something" doing anything]
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Sorry, no English spell-checker |
#6
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Quote:
** Something is going wrong - algo está marchando/andando/funcionando/trabajando mal ** Something is wrong - algo está/anda/marcha/trabaja mal ** both phrases refer and mean the same. |
#7
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Thank you all!
English isn't a problem for me, it's something I feel. So now I'll try to think of the sentences in english first. Again, thank you. |
#8
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Correct. You'll be up and running in no time.
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#9
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Quote:
Your first sentence above: "This is confusing for me" is the verb 'to be' plus present participle of 'to confuse', and Spanish does exactly the same. This is not really a problem when you get used to it. For example, English has 3 separate forms of the present tense, whereas German (thus I assume Dutch) has only one. The continuous form is expressed in other ways. I'll give an example in German, guessing that Dutch has something similar: I think - ich denke (= cogito) I am thinking- ich bin dabei, das zu ueberlegen I do think - aber ich denke doch ... Does that help? |
#10
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German & dutch is slightly different yet thank you for trying to explain .
I'm just always gonna keep in mind to look at english, it makes more sense then . Dank u! |
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