Spanish Present Progressive Subjunctive Tense

What Is the Present Progressive Subjunctive Tense?

The present progressive subjunctive is used to describe ongoing actions in the present or near future, but within contexts that require the subjunctive mood:

No hagas tanto ruido cuando estemos durmiendo. (Don't make so much noise when we are sleeping.)

Espero que estéis poniendo atención. (I hope you're paying attention.)

Note: Spanish progressive tenses aren't technically distinct grammatical tenses, but they usually express the exact same concepts as their corresponding progressive tenses in English, so we'll refer to them as "tenses" going forward.

How to Form the Present Progressive Subjunctive

To form the present progressive subjunctive, follow this structure:

• [present subjunctive of "estar"] + [present participle of main verb]

Let’s look at each component:

Present Subjunctive Form of "Estar"

Present Participle of Main Verb

To form the present participle ("gerundio" in Spanish) of a verb...

• For "-ar" verbs, replace their "-ar" ending with "-ando":

– hablar → hablando

• For "-er" and "-ir" verbs, replace their "-er" / "-ir" ending with "-iendo":

– comer → comiendo

– vivir → viviendo

Here are some examples of the present progressive tense in action:

• Ojalá estemos haciendo lo correcto. (Hopefully we’re doing the right thing.)

• Es posible que ellos estén trabajando en el proyecto ahora. (It’s possible that they’re working on the project now.)

• No creo que Sara esté mintiendo. (I don’t think Sara is lying.)

When to Use the Present Progressive Subjunctive

The present progressive subjunctive is used when:

1. The subjunctive mood is required (e.g., after certain verbs, expressions or conjunctions of doubt, emotion or necessity).

2. You want to emphasize an ongoing action or process.

Here are some common contexts where the present progressive subjunctive is used: 

Wishes, Expectations

• Espero que estés estudiando para el examen. (I hope that you’re studying for the exam.)

• Ojalá esté divirtiéndose en la fiesta. (Hopefully he is having fun at the party.)

Emotions

It's also used to describe situations about which we feel a certain way (e.g., doubt, uncertainty, happiness, etc.). The two parts of this kind of sentence—the emotion and the situation—are usually connected by the word "que" (that):

• Dudo que ellos estén diciendo la verdad. (I doubt they’re telling the truth.)

• No estoy segura de que estemos yendo en la dirección correcta. (I'm not sure we're going in the right direction.)

• Me alegra que estés disfrutando de tus vacaciones. (I’m glad that you’re enjoying your vacation.)

• Nos extraña que no estéis investigando el asunto. (We are surprised that you are not investigating the matter.) 

Opinions

They often follow this structure:

• es + [adjective] + que + [action in present progressive subjunctive]

For example:

• Es importante que estés practicando todos los días. (It’s important that you’re practicing every day.)

• Es bueno que ya no estemos peleando todo el tiempo. (It's good that we're not fighting all the time anymore.)

Hypothetical Scenarios in the Future

Typically introduced after words like "mientras"(while) or "cuando" (when):

• No te interrumpiremos mientras estés trabajando. (We will not interrupt you while you are working)

• No nos distraigan cuando estemos conduciendo. (Do not distract us when we are driving.)