A2 (Elementary)Lesson 1: Present Continuous & Gerund
Brazilian Portuguese commonly uses gerunds (-ando, -endo, -indo) in progressive constructions where European Portuguese often uses a + infinitive. The preference depends on the construction: both varieties also use gerunds and infinitives in other contexts.
Brazil: Continua chovendo (keeps raining)
Portugal often uses Continua a chover; the forms are not exclusive to one country.
Ficar, continuar, andar, vir, ir + gerund can express ongoing or gradual actions; other constructions remain possible.
Perception verbs can take a gerund: Vejo ele correndo. Infinitives are also possible.
Two actions at once → gerund: Trabalha cantando
Purpose still uses the infinitive: Estudo para aprender
Gerunds occur in speech and writing; choose by construction, meaning and context.
progressive auxiliary + gerund · perception verb + gerund or infinitive · compare continuar fazendo / continuar a fazer; ir and vir also take gerunds in Portugal
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Recognizing these constructions helps you describe continuing, recent and gradual actions. "Continua trabalhando" is common in Brazil, but "Continua a trabalhar" is also possible. Learn the pattern and its meaning rather than treating every infinitive as foreign: ir + gerund and ir + infinitive, for example, do different jobs.
| Verb | Meaning | Gerund example | Alternative or shared usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| continuar | to continue | continua fazendo | continua a fazer |
| ficar | to keep | fica falando | fica a falar |
| andar | to be doing lately | anda dizendo | anda a dizer |
| vir | to have been doing | vem melhorando | vem melhorando |
| seguir | to keep on | segue trabalhando | segue a trabalhar |
| acabar | to end up | acaba concordando | acaba por concordar |
These are construction examples, not mutually exclusive national rules. Vir + gerund is also used in Portugal for gradual development; vir a + infinitive has another aspectual value and is not a mechanical equivalent. Acabar por + infinitive can also occur in Brazil.
"O bebê continua dormindo" (The baby is still sleeping)
"Ela fica falando no telefone o dia todo" (She's on the phone all day long)
"Segue chovendo sem parar" (It keeps raining nonstop)
"Ando dormindo mal" (I've been sleeping badly lately)
"O calor vem aumentando" (The heat has been building up)
"A gente vem conversando sobre isso" (We've been talking about this)
"Vai esfriando à noite" (It gets colder as the night goes on)
"Começar" (to start) accepts both patterns:
Começa a chover (Starts to rain) — a normal Brazilian pattern
Começa chovendo (Starts raining) — a gerund pattern used in Brazil
The infinitive is normal in Brazil too. Gerund constructions with começar are documented, but the context can affect the reading, including “start by doing”; do not assume all infinitive and gerund constructions are interchangeable.
Continua chovendo ✓
Está nevando ✓
Vai esquentando ✓
In this pattern with de, use an infinitive: depois de chover, o sol volta (after it rains, the sun comes back)
The gerund is not exclusive to Brazil. Portugal also uses it with ir and vir, as in "vou vendo" and "olha quem vem chegando!", and in regional speech, including the Alentejo and Algarve. For the progressive with estar, European Portuguese generally favors a + infinitive, while Brazil favors the gerund. These are preferences within particular constructions, not a complete division between countries. Sources: Ciberdúvidas: gerúndio e estar a · vir · uso regional.
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