Advanced verb phrases: venir a, ir + gerund, llevar sin…
Beyond the basic verb phrases, Spanish has many periphrases that add subtle meanings of approximation, progression, persistence or culmination.
| phrase | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| ir + gerund | gradual progress | La situación va mejorando. |
| venir + gerund | something going on for a while (until now) | Vengo diciéndolo desde hace años. |
| andar + gerund | doing something here and there (often negative) | Anda contando mentiras. |
| venir a + inf. | approximately | Esto viene a costar cien euros. |
| llevar sin + inf. | haven’t done for (time) | Llevo un mes sin fumar. |
| acabar / terminar + gerund | end up doing | Acabó aceptando la oferta. |
| dar por + participle | consider as | Doy por terminada la reunión. |
| tener + participle | accumulated result | Tengo leídas cien páginas. |
Notes
- With tener / llevar + participle, the participle agrees with the object: Tengo escritas dos cartas.
- echarse a / romper a + inf. = burst into: Se echó a reír. Rompió a llorar.
- quedar en + inf. = agree to: Quedamos en vernos el lunes.
Examples
- Poco a poco voy entendiendo el sistema.Little by little I’m understanding the system.
- Llevamos dos años sin vernos.We haven’t seen each other for two years.
- Al final terminó reconociendo su error.In the end he ended up admitting his mistake.
- Doy por hecho que vendrás.I take it for granted that you’ll come.
- Ya va siendo hora de irnos.It is about time we left.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Llevo sin comiendo dos días.✓ Llevo sin comer dos días.After sin an infinitive is used. English “without eating” has -ing, which leads to the gerund.
- ✗ Voy mejorar poco a poco.✓ Voy mejorando poco a poco.Ir + gerund expresses gradual progress. Without the gerund it looks like ir a + infinitive.
- ✗ Viene costar cien euros.✓ Viene a costar cien euros.Venir a + infinitive means “to come to roughly”. Without a it cannot be read this way.
- ✗ Anda decir mentiras.✓ Anda diciendo mentiras.Andar + gerund means “to go around doing”. English “is going around saying” has -ing, as Spanish does.
- ✗ Echó correr.✓ Echó a correr.Echar a + infinitive means “to burst into”. English “started to run” has no equivalent preposition.