Complete Spanish

Track 34

1. The right-now form: estar plus -ando / -iendo Rule

Spanish does have an -ing structure, but it is reserved for what you are doing right now, in this moment. Since what you are doing is a state, it always takes estar.

-ar → -ando  ·  -er / -ir → -iendo
estoy hablando
I am speaking (right now)
estoy preparando
I am preparing
estamos desayunando
we are having breakfast
estoy comiendo
I am eating
está comiendo
he/she is eating
están vendiendo
they are selling

Somebody interrupts you: not hablo but estoy hablando. Somebody phones asking for Pablo: está comiendo.

2. Only for right now, never for the future Heads-up

This is the trap, and it is negative language transfer. English badly overuses -ing, including for the future: he is doing it tomorrow. Spanish uses the plain present there.

lo preparo más tarde
I am preparing it later: correct
estoy preparándolo
I am preparing it right now, this moment

Lo hace mañana · Lo preparo mañana · Lo venden mañana

This is exactly why the present tense has been given two translations all along: I speak and I am speaking, I wait and I am waiting. That way, when you want I am preparing it later, you do not reach for estoy preparando.

3. The little word can attach to -ando Grammar

An exception worth noting. Preparando is a changed verb, yet the little word may still hook onto its end, as well as going before estoy.

lo estoy preparando
both correct
estoy preparándolo
no difference in meaning

Están vendiéndolo / Lo están vendiendo

4. desayunar, to "un-fast" Vocabulary

Spanish has no to have breakfast: it has a verb meaning to breakfast. And it is a direct translation of the English, once you notice that breakfast is break fast.

desayunar
to have breakfast, to "un-fast"
ayunar
to fast
el desayuno
the breakfast

The des- is like un-, so desayunar is to "un-fast". You have seen that des- before in esperar and desperate, which is "un-hoped".

Desayuno

5. Recap of the splits Pattern

The track opens by running these again, and they are worth keeping straight because the -iendo form does not split.

hablar → hablo
no split
dormir → duermo
splits
comer → como
no split
esperar → espero
no split

Me duermo (I fall asleep) against duermo (I sleep)

6. Both are often fine Note

In many situations either form works, with only a slight change in meaning.

espero aquí
closer to "I'll wait here"
estoy esperando aquí
closer to "I am waiting here"

What you cannot do is stretch the -ando form to cover the future.