The Present Progressive in Spanish

We use it to describe what we are doing at a precise moment in time.

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We use the present tense to speak about habits and routines, but we don't use it to talk about what we are doing right now, at this exact moment. This is where the Present Progressive comes into play. We use it to describe what we are doing at a precise moment in time. For example, if I am in the middle of washing dishes and somebody asks me what I am doing, I would say I am washing dishes, as that is what we are doing at that exact moment.

We also use it to describe a broader present that isn’t a general description. For example, someone can ask, “What are you doing in Buenos Aires?” And I would answer, “I am studying Spanish.” It isn’t a general description; it describes an action I am doing precisely in the broader present.

To create this in Spanish we use the verb ESTAR (I AM) + The Verb with a structure called the “Gerund”.