Welcome to our Spanish lesson focusing on describing photographs using the present continuous tense. In Spanish, when we want to describe what’s happening in a picture, we often use the continuous verb form, which is created with the verb estar followed by a gerund. This tense allows us to convey the sense of ongoing action that we can see in images.
Objectives:
- Understand the usage of the present continuous tense (estar + gerund) in Spanish for describing ongoing actions in photographs.
- Enhance proficiency in Spanish by applying the present continuous tense to convey ongoing activities depicted in images.
Now, let’s apply what we’ve learned to describe a lively river walking summer scene in Benahavís, located in the province of Málaga. We’ll use estar + gerundio to describe the activities taking place in the photo.
Before we start, let’s review the conjugation of estar + gerundio in the present indicative, which is necessary to form the present continuous tense:
| Subject | Conjugation of Estar | Gerundio Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo | estoy | hablando |
| tú | estás | comiendo |
| él/ella/usted | está | leyendo |
| nosotros/nosotras | estamos | caminando |
| vosotros/vosotras | estáis | jugando |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | están | bailando |
Now, let’s look at some verbs we might use to describe the activities of the familía García in the photo:
Vocabulary Table: River Walking with the García Family
| Spanish Term | English Translation | Example Sentence in Spanish | Example Sentence in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| tiritar | to shiver | Lucía está tiritando de frío. | Lucía is shivering from the cold. |
| mantener el equilibrio | to keep balance | Juan está intentando mantener el equilibrio sobre las piedras resbalosas. | Juan is trying to keep his balance on the slippery rocks. |
| luchar | to struggle | Abuela Rosa está luchando para no caerse. | Abuela Rosa is struggling not to fall. |
| resbaloso/a | slippery | Las piedras están muy resbalosas hoy. | The stones are very slippery today. |
| caerse | to fall down | Lucía se cayó en el agua. | Lucía fell into the water. |
| reír | to laugh | Juan está riéndose mucho. | Juan is laughing a lot. |
| quejarse | to complain | Abuela Rosa se está quejando del frío. | Abuela Rosa is complaining about the cold. |
| avanzar | to move forward | Estamos avanzando a pesar de las dificultades. | We are moving forward despite the difficulties. |
| pensar | to think | Juan está pensando en la próxima aventura. | Juan is thinking about the next adventure. |
| equipar | to equip | Vamos a estar bien equipados la próxima vez. | We will be well equipped next time. |
The García Family River Walking in Benavis Guadalmina
| Spanish Dialogue | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ¡Ay! Estoy tiritando de frío con este agua helada. | Lucía: Oh! I’m shivering from the cold in this icy water. |
| Estoy intentando mantener el equilibrio, pero estas piedras están muy resbalosas. | Juan: I’m trying to keep my balance, but these stones are very slippery. |
| Estoy luchando para no caerme, pero esto está difícil. | Abuela Rosa: I’m struggling not to fall, but this is tough. |
| ¡Ups! Estoy cayéndome otra vez. ¡Pero qué divertido es! | Lucía: Oops! I’m falling down again. But it’s so much fun! |
| Estoy riéndome tanto. A pesar de los resbalones, ¡estoy pasándola bien! | Juan: I’m laughing so much. Despite the slips, I’m having a good time! |
| Estoy quejándome mucho, pero en el fondo, estoy disfrutando el momento. | Abuela Rosa: I’m complaining a lot, but deep down, I’m enjoying the moment. |
| Estamos avanzando poco a poco. ¡Mira cómo estamos mejorando, Abuela! | Lucía: We’re making progress little by little. Look how we’re improving, Grandma! |
| Estoy pensando en la próxima vez. ¡Vamos a estar preparados con el equipo correcto! | Juan: I’m thinking about next time. We’re going to be prepared with the right gear! |
Photo Description: The García Family’s River Walking Adventure
| Action in Spanish | Action in English |
|---|---|
| Antonio está ayudando a Lucía a mantener el equilibrio en el agua turbulenta. | Antonio is helping Lucía maintain her balance in the turbulent water. |
| Penélope está sujetando la mano de Juan, guiándolo a través del agua. | Penélope is holding Juan’s hand, guiding him through the water. |
Juan está tropezando con una piedra mientras intenta cruzar el río. | Juan is stumbling over a rock as he tries to cross the river. |
Abuelo Miguel está observando atentamente a los niños para asegurarse de que estén seguros. | Grandpa Miguel is watching the children closely to ensure they are safe. |
Lucía está mirando hacia el agua, quizás buscando peces o piedras interesantes. | Lucía is looking into the water, possibly searching for fish or interesting stones. |
Abrak, el perro de la familia, está caminando por el agua, disfrutando de la corriente fresca. | Abrak, the family dog, is walking through the water, enjoying the cool current. |
Juan está intentando no caerse mientras el agua fluye alrededor de él. | Juan is trying not to fall as the water flows around him. |