Irregular Reflexive Verbs in the Gerund
Irregular Reflexive Verbs in the Gerund
While reflexive verbs in the gerund (-ing) form follow regular suffix patterns, -IR verbs undergo irregular stem changes when in the gerund.
- AR verbs → always end in -ando
- ER verbs → always end in -iendo
- IR verbs → always irregular in the gerund (see below)
Reflexive verbs in the gerund also have a different word order.
In the present tense and past tense the reflexive pronoun is placed directly before the conjugated verb.
- present tense: me siento
- past tense: me sentí
But in the gerund, the reflexive pronoun and the conjugated verb are separated by ‘estar’:
- gerund: me estoy sintiendo
The Difference Between Present Tense and Present Progressive
In simple present tense, the reflexive pronoun is placed directly before the conjugated verb.
✔ “Yo me siento cansado.” → I feel tired.
In present progressive (estar + gerund), the reflexive pronoun and the conjugated verb are separated by ‘estar’.
✔ “Yo me estoy sintiendo cansado.” → I am feeling tired.
Formula
The most common word order for reflexive verbs in the gerund has it’s own formula:
Reflexive Pronoun + Estar (Conjugated) + Gerund
✔ Ella se está preparando para su cita. → She is getting ready for her date.
✔ Yo me estoy sintiendo cansado. → I am feeling tired.
✔ Los niños se están despertando ahora. → The children are waking up now.
✔ Nosotros nos estamos despidiendo de nuestros amigos. → We are saying goodbye to our friends.
✔ Él se está poniendo los zapatos. → He is putting on his shoes.
Irregular Reflexive Verbs for Gerund Formation
Only -IR verbs have irregular stem changes in the gerund form.
If the verb has “e” in the stem, it changes to “i”.
Despedirse → despidiendo
If the verb has “o” in the stem, it changes to “u”.
Dormirse → durmiendo
Extra Irregular Reflexive Verbs for Gerund Formation
For -er or -ir verbs, if the main part of the verb ends in a vowel, the i in the gerund ending -iendo becomes a y.
leer – leyendo
to read — reading
¿Estás leyendo ese libro? (leer)
Are you reading this book?
ir – yendo
to go — going
Mis amigos están yendo al cine. (ir)
My friends are going to the movie theater.
construir – construyendo
to build – building
Ella está construyendo una casa. (construir)
She’s building a house.
Top 10 Irregular Gerunds Commonly Used in Reflexive Sentences
| Infinitive (Reflexive) | Gerund | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Sentirse | Sintiendo | Ella se está sintiendo cansada. (She is feeling tired.) |
| Vestirse | Vistiendo | Ellos se están vistiendo ahora. (They are getting dressed now.) |
| Dormirse | Durmiendo | Mi hijo se está durmiendo. (My son is falling asleep.) |
| Morirse | Muriendo | La planta se está muriendo. (The plant is dying.) |
| Despedirse | Despidiendo | Nos estamos despidiendo de ellos. (We are saying goodbye to them.) |
| Divertirse | Divirtiendo | Nos estamos divirtiendo mucho. (We are having a lot of fun.) |
| Reírse | Riendo | Él se está riendo de la broma. (He is laughing at the joke.) |
| Servirse | Sirviendo | Me estoy sirviendo café. (I am serving myself coffee.) |
| Convertirse | Convirtiendo | Se está convirtiendo en un problema. (It is becoming a problem.) |
| Preferirse | Prefiriendo | Me estoy prefiriendo quedar en casa. (I am preferring to stay home.) |
In Spanish, when using reflexive verbs in the present progressive (estar + gerund), you have two correct placement options for the reflexive pronoun:
- Before “estar” → “Él se está durmiendo en el sofá.” ✅ (Most common in speech)
- Attached to the gerund (with an accent) → “Él está durmiéndose en el sofá.” ✅ (Also correct but slightly less common)
- The accent mark helps retain the pronunciation of the infinitive verb
Why Would You Attach the Pronoun to the Gerund?
- Grammar Flexibility: Spanish allows pronouns to be either before “estar” or attached to the gerund—both are correct.
- Rhythm & Flow: Some people prefer “durmiéndose” because it sounds smoother in fast speech.
- Emphasis Shift: Attaching the pronoun can put more focus on the action rather than the person.