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Present Progressive: Estamos cenando con nuestros amigo ... (00)

Estamos cenando con nuestros amigos. means We are having dinner with our friends.

Estamos cenando is a verbal periphrasis similar to present continuous in English.

Estamos cenando con nuestros amigos.

Verbal periphrasis is a term used in Spanish for a grammar structure composed of verbs. Present progressive in Spanish is such a structure. It is formed by ESTAR in present tense and gerund of the verb, so it is very similar to present progressive in English.

The verb ESTAR means to be and is used when we speak about a momentary situation.

Gerund is an invariable, impersonal form of verb similar to "ing" form of verbs in English. One of the principal functions of gerund is to indicate an activity in progress.

How "present progressive" is formed

Present progressive is formed by conjugation of ESTAR and gerund of the verb.

ESTAR + gerund (verb + -ing) = present progressive

Conjugation of the verb ESTAR (to be) in the present tense.

(yo) estoy	(I) am
(tu) estás	(you - informal) are
(el/ella/usted) está	(he/she/you - formal) is
(nosotros) estamos	(we) are
(vosotros) estáis (ustedes) estan	(you all - informal) are (you - formal) are
(ellos/ellas/ustedes) estan	(they - males/females/you all - formal) are

More about ESTAR in the lesson on Verb Estar here.

Gerund is formed by adding -ANDO (AR verbs) or -IENDO (ER, IR verbs) to the root after removing infinitive endings -AR, -ER, -IR.

Gerund of AR verbs:

buscar	to search	buscando	searching
preguntar	to ask	preguntando	asking
dar	to give	dando	giving
tomar	to take to drink	tomando	taking drinking
mirar	to look at	mirando	looking

Gerund of ER verbs:

volver	to return	volviendo	returning
comprender	to understand	comprendiendo	understanding
hacer	to do/to make	haciendo	doing making
tener	to have	teniendo	having
beber	to drink	bebiendo	drinking

Gerund of IR verbs:

vivir	to live	viviendo	living
abrir	to open	abriendo	opening
permitir	to allow	permitiendo	allowing
escribir	to write	escribiendo	writing
salir	to go out/to leave	saliendo	going out leaving

Gerund of irregular verbs

ER and IR verbs with the root ending with a vowel, add "-YENDO".

Gerund of IR (to go) is YENDO.

ir	to go	yendo	going
caer	to fall	cayendo	falling
oir	to hear	oyendo	hearing
construir	to build	construyendo	building
leer	to read	leyendo	reading
traer	to bring	trayendo	bringing

The verb PODER (can, be able to) has the root vowel change O -> UE and in gerund it changes into "U" (pudiendo).

IR verbs with root vowel change O -> UE (e.g.dormir = to sleep) change the root vowel into "U"

dormir	to sleep	durmiendo	sleeping
morir	to die	muriendo	dying

IR verbs with root vowel change E -> IE (e.g.mentir = to lie) change the root vowel into "I"

mentir	to lie	mintiendo	lying
sentir	to feel	sintiendo	feeling
decir	to say, to tell	diciendo	saying, telling
preferir	to prefer	prefiriendo	preferring

IR verbs with root vowel change E -> I (e.g.pedir = to ask for, to order) change the root vowel into "I"

vestir(se)	to dress, to wear	vistiendo (se)	dressing, wearing
pedir	to order, ask for, request	pidiendo	ordering, asking for, requesting
reir(se)	to laugh	riendo (se)	laughing
despedir(se)	to lay off, release, to bid good bye	despidiendo	laying off, releasing

More on gerund in the lesson Gerund here.

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

(Yo) estoy viajando a Nueva York.	I am travelling to New York.
(Tú) estás viajando a Nueva York.	You are travelling to New York.
(Él/ella) está viajando a Nueva York. (Usted) está viajando a Nueva York.	He/She is travelling to New York. You (formal) are travelling to New York.
(Nosotros) estamos viajando a Nueva York.	We are travelling to New York.
(Vosotros) estáis viajando a Nueva York. (Ustedes) están viajando a Nueva York.	You (all - informal) are travelling to New York. You (all - formal) are travelling to New York.
(Ellos/ellas) están viajando a Nueva York. (Ustedes) están viajando a Nueva York	They (males/females) are travelling to New York. You (all - formal) are travelling to New York.

Note that ESTAR in present tense + gerund is used strictly to describe an activity happening at the exact moment of speaking. It does not express future actions.

Isabel está contando a sus amigas sobre su viaje. = Isabel is telling her friends about her trip.

Isabel está contando a sus amigas sobre su viaje.

Antonio y Sofia están buscando un departamento. = Antonio and Sofia are looking for an apartment.

Antonio y Sofia están buscando un departamento.

Estamos visitando a abuelo. = We are visiting grandpa.

Estamos visitando a abuelo.

Ahora todos los tulipanes están floreciendo. = All the tulips are blooming now.

Ahora todos los tulipanes están floreciendo.

Estamos viajando a México. = We are travelling to Mexico.

Estamos viajando a México.

Mis amigos están construyendo casa. = My friends are building a house.

Mis amigos están construyendo casa.

Los Rodríguez están yendo de viaje. = The Rodríguez are going to travel.

Los Rodríguez están yendo de viaje.

Estoy usando el carro de mi hermano. = I am using my brother´s car.

Estoy usando el carro de mi hermano.

Mi jefe está explicando como funciona la máquina. = My boss is explaining how the machine functions.

Mi jefe está explicando como funciona la máquina.

Estoy saliendo de trabajo. = I am leaving work.

Estoy saliendo del trabajo.

Question with the present progressive

There is no special word order needed to form an interrogative sentence. You can use the same structure (subject + verb + object) as in an affirmative statement. Inquiry is indicated by intonation.

¿Estás hablando con la recepcionista?	Are you talking to the receptionist?
¿Por qué está el niño llorando?	Why is the child crying?
¿La lavadora está haciendo ruido?	Is the washer making noise?

¿Con quién estoy hablando? = Who am I talking to?

Con quién estoy hablando?

¿Por qué estás estudiando medicina? = Why are you studying medicine?

¿Por qué estás estudiando medicina?

¿Está Flor corriendo a casa? = Is Flor running home?

¿Está Flor corriendo a casa?

¿Quéestás pensando? = What are you thinking?

¿Qué estás pensando?

¿A dónde estás yendo? = Where are you going?

¿A dónde estás yendo?

¿Qué verduras están comprando ustedes? = What vegetables are you buying?

¿Qué verduras están comprando ustedes?

Negative with present progressive

Negative is formed by placing NO before the conjugated form of ESTAR.

No estás preparando el desayuno.	You are not preparing breakfast.
Los chicos no están yendo al cine, están yendo al estadio.	The kids are not going to the cinema, they are going to the stadium.
Las noticias no están diciendo nada del huracán.	The are not saying anything about the hurricane.

No estoy viendo televisión, solo estoy cambiando los canales. = I am not watching TV, I am just switching the channels.

No estoy viendo televisión, solo estoy cambiando los canales.

Los estudiantes no están preguntando nada. = The students aren´t asking anything.

Los estudiantes no están preguntando nada.

El datáfono no está funcionando = The payment terminal isn´t functioning.

El datáfono no está funcionando.

No estamos comiendo en un restaurante francés. = We aren´t eating in a French restaurant.

No estamos comiendo en un restaurante francés.

No están descansando en la playa. = They aren´t resting on the beach.

No están descansando en la playa.

No estoy comprando el perfume para mí. = I am not buying the perfume for me.

No estoy comprando el perfume para mí.

Position of prouns in present progressive.

Object and reflexive pronouns can be joined to the end of gerund or they can also be placed before the verb ESTAR.

Nos están viendo. Están viendonos.	They are watching us.
Te estamos buscando. Estamos buscándote.	We are looking for you.
Los estás esperando. Estás esperándolos.	You are waiting for them.
Nos lo están comprando. Nos están comprándolo.	They are buying it from us.
Me lo está pagando. Está pagándomelo.	He/she/you (formal) is paying it to me.

Note that when we use the gerund with the attached pronoun, we have to use the written accent to signal it is staying at the same position.

El mesero nos está sirviendo pasta con queso. = The waiter is serving us pasta with cheese.

El mesero está sirviéndonos pasta con queso.

Por qué te estás cambiándo la camisa? = Why are you changing your shirt?

Por qué estás cambiándote la camisa?

Te estoy llamando. = I am calling you.

Estoy llamándote.

Alejandra está esperándoles en un café. = Alejandra is waiting for them.

Alejandra les está esperando en un café.

La están saludando sus estudiantes. = Her students are greeting her.

La están saludando sus estudiantes.

Su jefe les está gritando. = Their boss is shouting at them. .

Su jefe les está gritando.

Summary:

Verbal periphrasis in Spanish is similar to present progressive in English because it describes an ongoing activity.
Verbal periphrasis is formed with correspoding conjugation of ESTAR and gerund.
Present progressive in Spanish is used much less than in English and exclusively to describe an activity happening at the moment of speaking.
Spanish present progressive doesn´t express future actions.