Irregular verbs in the Spanish past progressive tense present a special challenge, as they don’t follow the standard rules for forming gerunds. Instead, these verbs have unique gerund forms that must be memorized individually.
Common Irregular Gerunds
Here are some frequently used irregular gerunds in Spanish:
- Ir (to go) → Yendo (going)
- Poder (to be able to) → Pudiendo (being able to)
- Decir (to say) → Diciendo (saying)
These are just a few examples, and there are many other irregular verbs with unique gerunds.
Constructing the Past Progressive Tense
Just like with regular verbs, to form the past progressive tense, you’ll combine the irregular gerund with the imperfect tense of the verb “estar” (to be):
| Pronoun | Estar (Imperfect) | Gerund (Example: Ir) | Past Progressive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | estaba | yendo | estaba yendo |
| Tú | estabas | yendo | estabas yendo |
| Él/Ella/Usted | estaba | yendo | estaba yendo |
| Nosotros/Nosotras | estábamos | yendo | estábamos yendo |
| Vosotros/Vosotras | estabais | yendo | estabais yendo |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | estaban | yendo | estaban yendo |
Examples:
- “Yo estaba leyendo un libro interesante.” (I was reading an interesting book.)
- “Ella estaba durmiendo profundamente.” (She was sleeping deeply.)
- “Ellos estaban hablando en voz baja.” (They were talking in a low voice.)
Synonyms
- English: Irregular Past Progressive Verbs
- Spanish: Verbos Irregulares en Pretérito Imperfecto Progresivo