I use the app SpanishDict to help me check myself on certain concepts, especially on conjugations. For this concept, the gerund, the app uses past and present participles. Frankly, I did not receive a whole hell of a lot of instruction when it came to the difference between a participle and a gerund when I was younger but hey, I turned out ok! I have gotten the gist but the two things don't do the same thing in Spanish as they do in English. I asked a Spanish professor friend of mine about this and he said one of them (I can't remember which) was the gerund and the other is the participle. Is he correct? I got a questions wrong because I typed one form but it was actually the other. Also, is SpanishDict throwing me off?
Stuck again!
- « Back to Q&A Forum
- « Previous questionNext question »
Perry A.Kwiziq community member
Stuck again!
This question relates to:Spanish lesson "Forming irregular gerunds in Spanish (-ing form) "
Asked 2 months ago
Hola Perry
In Spanish we call "gerundio" to what in English is a gerund or a present participle - that is the -ing endings in for example:
Estoy trabajando - I am working
Lo pasé muy bien bailando - I had a great time dancing
Siempre están bebiendo y comiendo - They are always drinking and eating
We call "participio" or participio de pasado" the past participle in English. This is when you're using a perfect tense (that has "haber" in it):
Hemos comido pollo y patatas - We have eaten chicken and fries
He trabajado mucho - I have worked a lot
Or when we use them as adjectives:
Los niños están dormidos - The children are asleep
The endings for the gerundio and the participio are different in Spanish.
Have a look here for some information on both and some linked lessons inside the articles.
Un saludo
Inma
Perry A. asked:View original
Stuck again!
I use the app SpanishDict to help me check myself on certain concepts, especially on conjugations. For this concept, the gerund, the app uses past and present participles. Frankly, I did not receive a whole hell of a lot of instruction when it came to the difference between a participle and a gerund when I was younger but hey, I turned out ok! I have gotten the gist but the two things don't do the same thing in Spanish as they do in English. I asked a Spanish professor friend of mine about this and he said one of them (I can't remember which) was the gerund and the other is the participle. Is he correct? I got a questions wrong because I typed one form but it was actually the other. Also, is SpanishDict throwing me off?
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Ask a question
Find your Spanish level for FREE
Test your Spanish to the CEFR standard
Find your Spanish level