Future (ir a) and Present Progressive

Future with 'ir a'

Usage

This tense is the equivalent of 'going to' when used to refer to the future in English. Sentences like 'I am going to leave tomorrow' generally have the identical meaning in Spanish: 'Voy a salir mañana'.

Form

The formula in Spanish for this tense is: ir + a + infinitive.

Therefore, you only need to know how to conjugate the verb 'ir':

IR (go)

voy       vamos
vas       vais
va        van


Examples:

I am going to eat.   Voy a comer.
You are going to swim. Tú vas a nadar.
We are going to study. Vamos a estudiar.
They are going to work. Ellos van a trabajar.


Present Progressive

Usage

The present progressive tense (also called present continuous) is the same in Spanish and English except for one situation. In both languages, this tense is used to express what is happening at this very moment, but in English we also use it to express something in the near future. (See Present Tense for a more thorough discussion of this).

Form

The formula for this tense is: estar + verb in gerund form (-ando / -iendo)

For -ar verbs, the ending is taken off and -ando is added:

hablar       hablando (speaking)
estudiar     estudiando (studying)
cantar       cantando (singing)


For -er and -ir verbs, the ending is taken off and -iendo is added:

comer       comiendo (eating)
volver      volviendo (returning)
vivir       viviendo (living)
conducir    conduciendo (driving)


After that, it's simply a matter of placing the proper form of estar at the beginning:

I am speaking.       Estoy hablando.
You are returning.   Estás volviendo.
We are living.       Estamos viviendo.
They are driving.    Ellos están conduciendo.

Related Topics

General Considerations about Verbs
Present Tense
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