Verbal periphrases
B2 Las perífrasis verbales 48 / 49
In short
A verbal periphrasis is a conjugated auxiliary + (link word) + a non-finite verb (infinitive, gerund, or participle) that together carry one meaning - usually aspect (phase of an action) or obligation. Only the auxiliary conjugates; the second verb stays fixed: voy a salir, acabo de llegar, llevo dos años estudiando.
The rule
The structure is always: [auxiliary, conjugated] + [optional link: a / de / que] + [infinitive / gerundio / participio]. The auxiliary carries person and tense; the non-finite verb carries the real meaning. Learn each one with its little link word.
Infinitive periphrases (mostly phase or modality):
- ir a + inf - near future / intention: Voy a estudiar esta tarde. (Lesson 20)
- acabar de + inf - to have just done something: Acabo de comer. (Careful: acabar de = “just”, not “finish”.)
- volver a + inf - to do again: Vuelvo a intentarlo.
- empezar a / ponerse a + inf - to start (with ponerse a, suddenly): Empezó a llover. Se puso a llorar.
- dejar de + inf - to stop doing: Dejé de fumar.
- soler + inf - to usually / tend to do; it exists only in the present (suelo) and imperfect (solía): Suelo madrugar.
- estar a punto de + inf - to be about to: El tren está a punto de salir.
- Obligation recap: tener que + inf (personal need), hay que + inf (impersonal), deber + inf (should): Tengo que trabajar. Hay que reservar. Debes descansar.
Gerund periphrases (an action in progress or unfolding):
- estar + gerundio - happening right now: Estoy leyendo. (Lesson 19)
- seguir / continuar + gerundio - to keep / still be doing (no link word): Sigo esperando.
- llevar + [time] + gerundio - to have been doing for a stretch of time: Llevo dos años estudiando español.
- ir + gerundio - gradual progress: Poco a poco voy entendiendo.
- venir + gerundio - something building up from the past to now: Vengo diciéndolo desde hace tiempo.
Participle periphrases (an accumulated result). Here the participle agrees in gender and number with the object - unlike the frozen participle after haber:
- llevar + participle - running total: Llevo escritas tres cartas.
- tener + participle - result achieved and kept: Tengo hechos los deberes.
Where the pronoun goes. A pronoun belonging to the non-finite verb attaches to it, and with most periphrases it may instead move in front of the auxiliary - both are correct: voy a llamarte = te voy a llamar, acabo de sentarme = me acabo de sentar (Lesson 18). The se of ponerse a is different: it belongs to the auxiliary, so it never moves to the infinitive - se puso a cantar, never puso a cantarse.
Forms & patterns
Infinitive periphrases:
| Periphrasis | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ir a + inf | near future | Voy a llamarte. |
| acabar de + inf | to have just done | Acaba de salir. |
| volver a + inf | to do again | Volvió a preguntar. |
| empezar / ponerse a + inf | to start | Se puso a cantar. |
| dejar de + inf | to stop | Dejó de llover. |
| soler + inf | usually (pres./imperf. only) | Suele llegar tarde. |
| estar a punto de + inf | to be about to | Estábamos a punto de irnos. |
| tener que / hay que / deber + inf | obligation | Hay que esperar. |
Gerund & participle periphrases:
| Periphrasis | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| estar + gerundio | in progress now | Está durmiendo. |
| seguir / continuar + gerundio | to keep / still doing | Sigo trabajando. |
| llevar + time + gerundio | duration up to now | Llevo una hora esperando. |
| ir + gerundio | gradually | Voy mejorando. |
| venir + gerundio | building up from the past | Viene quejándose desde ayer. |
| llevar / tener + participle | accumulated result (agrees) | Llevo leídas cien páginas. |
Examples
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| Acabo de llegar a casa. | I have just gotten home. |
| El tren está a punto de salir. | The train is about to leave. |
| Dejé de fumar hace un año. | I stopped smoking a year ago. |
| Suelo desayunar café con tostadas. | I usually have coffee and toast for breakfast. |
| Llevo tres años viviendo en Madrid. | I have been living in Madrid for three years. |
| Sigue lloviendo desde ayer. | It has been raining since yesterday. |
| Poco a poco voy entendiendo el acento. | Little by little I am coming to understand the accent. |
| Ya tengo escritas tres páginas. | I have three pages written now. |
Common mistakes
- Acabo de comer = “I finish eating” -> acabar de + inf = to have JUST done - acabo de comer means “I have just eaten”; for “I finish eating” use termino de comer.
- Solí ir / soleré ir -> Solía ir - soler has only a present (suelo) and an imperfect (solía); it has no preterite or future.
- Llevo dos años estudio -> Llevo dos años estudiando - llevar for duration always takes the gerund, not a conjugated verb.
- Sigo a estudiar -> Sigo estudiando - seguir / continuar take the gerund directly, with no linking a.
- Vuelvo llamar -> Vuelvo a llamar - volver in this sense always needs a before the infinitive.
- Llevo escrito tres cartas -> Llevo escritas tres cartas - after llevar / tener the participle agrees in gender and number with the object.
Tips
- A periphrasis = one auxiliary that carries tense/person + one fixed verb that carries the meaning. Only the auxiliary conjugates.
- Memorize each link word: ir a, acabar de, volver a, empezar a, dejar de, estar a punto de - the gerund set and soler take nothing.
- Aspect map: acabar de = just finished; estar = in progress; ir / venir = gradual; seguir = still going; llevar + time = duration so far; volver a = repetition; dejar de = interruption.
- llevar + gerundio is the everyday way to give duration: ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas trabajando aquí? beats the textbook hace… que.
- Pronoun climbing is a test for a periphrasis: if lo estoy leyendo works as well as estoy leyéndolo, the two verbs are acting as one.
- Two “result” auxiliaries behave unlike haber: after haber the participle is frozen (he escrito), but after llevar / tener it agrees (tengo escrita la carta).