Llevar and seguir + gerund
B1Grammar path · Lesson 61 of 86 · Stage B1 · Verb phrases
When you want to say how long something has been going on, or that something is still happening, Spanish uses two very common verb phrases. The first is llevar + time + gerund, the Spanish answer to 'have been doing for…': Llevo dos años estudiando. The second is seguir + gerund, meaning 'still doing' or 'keep doing': Sigue lloviendo. For the negative 'still not', use seguir sin + infinitive. Learners often mix these up with estar + gerund. Estar only shows an action in progress right now, llevar adds the length of time, and seguir adds the idea that the action continues from before.
Practise this lesson · 10 sentences
Form
llevar + tiempo + gerundioseguir + gerundioseguir sin + infinitivo¿Cuánto tiempo + llevar + gerundio?When to use it
Saying how long something has been going on
Use llevar + a period of time + gerund for an action that started in the past and is still going on. It is the most natural way to say 'have been doing for'.
Saying something is still happening
Seguir + gerund stresses that an action has not stopped, often longer than expected. It is close to 'still' or 'keep doing'.
Saying something hasn't happened for a while or still hasn't happened
In the negative, replace the gerund with sin + infinitive: llevar + time + sin + infinitive, or seguir sin + infinitive.
Llevar and seguir + gerund
Signal words
Don't confuse it with
Frequently asked questions
How do I say 'I have been studying Spanish for two years'?
Use llevar + time + gerund: Llevo dos años estudiando español. You can also say Estudio español desde hace dos años.
Is there a difference between seguir and continuar + gerund?
They mean almost the same: Sigue trabajando and Continúa trabajando both mean 'is still working'. Seguir is more common in speech, continuar sounds slightly more formal.
What is the negative of seguir + gerund?
Use seguir sin + infinitive for 'still not': Sigue sin llamar. No sigue llamando does not sound natural with this meaning.
Can I use llevar + gerund in the past?
Yes, use llevaba to say how long something had been going on up to a past moment: Llevaba una hora esperando cuando llegó el autobús.
Is seguir a + infinitive or seguir + infinitive correct?
No. Seguir must be followed by a gerund: Sigo estudiando, not Sigo a estudiar or Sigo estudiar.
When do I use estar + gerund instead of llevar + gerund?
Use estar when you only say something is in progress: Estoy esperando. When you add how long, use llevar: Llevo media hora esperando.