Acabar de, dejar de, ponerse a, echarse a, ir + gerund, venir + gerund and more combinations.
| Periphrasis | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| empezar a + inf | to begin to | Empezó a llover. (It began to rain.) |
| ponerse a + inf | to suddenly start | Se puso a llorar. (He burst into tears.) |
| echarse a + inf | to burst into (sudden) | Se echó a reír. (She burst out laughing.) |
| romper a + inf | to suddenly start (dramatic) | Rompió a llorar. (He broke down crying.) |
| Periphrasis | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| dejar de + inf | to stop doing | Dejó de fumar. (He stopped smoking.) |
| acabar de + inf | to have just done | Acabo de llegar. (I just arrived.) |
| terminar de + inf | to finish doing | Terminé de leer. (I finished reading.) |
| parar de + inf | to stop doing | No para de hablar. (He doesn't stop talking.) |
| Periphrasis | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| volver a + inf | to do again | Volvió a llamar. (He called again.) |
| seguir + ger | to keep doing | Sigue lloviendo. (It keeps raining.) |
| llevar + time + ger | have been doing for | Llevo dos horas esperando. |
| andar + ger | to go around doing | Anda buscando trabajo. (He's going around looking for work.) |
| Periphrasis | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ir + ger | gradual progression | Los precios van subiendo. (Prices keep going up.) |
| venir + ger | has been (until now) | Vengo diciendo esto hace tiempo. (I've been saying this for a while.) |
| estar a punto de + inf | about to | Estoy a punto de salir. (I'm about to leave.) |
Tener que + inf = have to (strong) | Deber + inf = should (moral)
Hay que + inf = one must (impersonal) | Poder + inf = can/may
Soler + inf = usually do | Saber + inf = know how to
Empezó a llover. (preterite) | Empezaba a llover. (imperfect)
Dejó de fumar. (past) | Dejará de fumar. (future)
Volvería a hacerlo. (conditional)
1. Se _____ a llorar. (burst into tears — sudden)
2. Se _____ a reír. (burst out laughing)
3. _____ de fumar hace un año. (stopped)
4. _____ de llegar. (I just arrived.)
5. _____ a llamar ayer. (called again)
6. Los precios van _____. (gradually increasing)
7. No _____ de hablar. (doesn't stop talking)
8. Estoy _____ de salir. (about to leave)
9. _____ buscando trabajo. (going around looking)
10. _____ lloviendo. (It keeps raining.)
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