How to use the verb estar. Discover how to express feelings, locations, and temporary conditions with this essential Spanish verb.
Learn easy examples and sentence patterns to confidently describe how someone is feeling or where something is located.
Present Progressive — What Are You Doing Right Now?
Let’s express an idea with this tense:
Yo estoy trabajando → I am working
So, we already have the basic idea: we use this tense to say what we are doing right now.
🟨 How to Form the Present Progressive
To form the present progressive in Spanish, you need two parts:
- ► A conjugated form of estar
- ► The gerund (-ando or -iendo) of the main verb
Example: Trabajar (to work)
Trabajar → Remove -ar → trabaj- → Add -ando → trabajando
Now form the full sentence: Yo estoy trabajando → I am working
🟨 Conjugation of “Trabajar” in the Present Progressive
| Subject Pronoun | Full Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Yo estoy trabajando | I am working |
| Tú | Tú estás trabajando | You are working |
| Él / Ella / Usted | Él está trabajando | He is working |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | Nosotros estamos trabajando | We are working |
| Ellos / Ustedes | Ellos están trabajando | They are working |
More -ar Verbs
Just follow the same pattern:
- Hablar → Hablando
- Bailar → Bailando
- Estudiar → Estudiando
📄 Present Progressive Sentences
✅ Affirmative Sentences:
- Estoy estudiando para el examen de matemáticas.
- María está cocinando la cena ahora mismo.
- Ellos están jugando en el parque.
❌ Negative Sentences:
- Yo no estoy viendo la televisión en este momento.
- Pedro no está trabajando hoy.
- Nosotros no estamos comiendo en el restaurante.
❓ Yes/No Questions:
- ¿Estás estudiando para la prueba de historia?
- ¿Ellos están hablando por teléfono ahora?
- ¿Estamos esperando el autobús aquí?
🔹 What happens with verbs like comer or vivir?
For -er verbs like comer (to eat):
- Take the verb: comer
- Remove the -er ending: com-
- Add -iendo: comiendo
✅ Full example: Yo estoy comiendo → I am eating
For -ir verbs like vivir (to live):
- Take the verb: vivir
- Remove the -ir ending: viv-
- Add -iendo: viviendo
✅ Full example: Yo estoy viviendo en México → I am living in Mexico
✅ Wrap up
Now you know how to use the present progressive in Spanish.
You just need:
- 🔹 The verb estar in the present tense
- 🔹 The gerund form of the main verb
- -ando for -ar verbs (e.g., trabajando)
- -iendo for -er and -ir verbs (e.g., comiendo, viviendo)
🟨 Remember: When to Use the Present Progressive
Use it to describe what you or others are doing at the moment:
- Estoy leyendo un libro. → I’m reading a book.
- Tú estás estudiando para el examen. → You are studying for the exam.
- Ellos no están trabajando hoy. → They are not working today.
Keep practicing with your own sentences. What are you doing right now?
