Use of the Gerund

The gerund belongs to the impersonal moods. It is therefore an invariable verb form. It allows several things to be indicated:
- two actions taking place at the same time: se paseaba hablando (he was walking while talking)
- the duration of an action: estoy llegando (I am arriving)
- the cause: Sabiendo que eras tú, abrí la puerta (Knowing it was you, I opened the door)
- the condition: Estando de acuerdo, iremos a la boda (If we agree, we will go to the wedding)

Note that the expression of condition using the gerund is impossible in French. This is a specificity of Spanish. In this type of construction, the subject is necessarily placed in second position. In other cases, the gerund is placed after the conjugated verb and allows the verb to be completed. The action expressed by the gerund is then secondary compared to the verb of the main clause.

The gerund is also used in verbal constructions to express an event in progress regardless of the auxiliary. Here are the main verbal constructions with the gerund below.

estar + gerund

This construction is used when the action is in progress and extends over time. This is the French equivalent of "is in the process of" or English "is -ing".

ir + gerund

This construction is used when the action extends over a long duration. This allows emphasis on the notion of length. In French, we would say "little by little" or "gradually".

venir + gerund

The action here has its starting point in the past and continues until now. This form also expresses insistence and repetition of an action. This corresponds in French to the recent past and sometimes in English to the present perfect.

seguir + gerund

The action here has its starting point in the past and continues in the present. Here we express the continuity of an action. This corresponds in French to the expressions "to continue to", "to remain", "to still be" or "to stay".

llevar + time indication + gerund

With a time indication between llevar and the gerund, we emphasize the time elapsed since the beginning of the action and the moment we are speaking. In French, we would say "it has been x time that".

andar + gerund

This construction evokes an action that lasts and is often perceived negatively. It also expresses movement.