The gerund and gradualness: aprenent, estudiant, Vaig aprenent
The gerund is the form on -ant / -ent: verbs in "-ar" give "-ant" (estudiant — studying), verbs in "-er", "-re", "-ir" give "-ent" (aprenent — learning, escrivint — writing). On its own it answers "how?": Va corrent al mercat parlant per telèfon — he ran to the market talking on the phone. For example: “Vaig aprenent poc a poc: cada setmana entenc més” — I am learning gradually: every week I understand more. A rule…
How it works
The gerund is the form on -ant / -ent: verbs in "-ar" give "-ant" (estudiant — studying), verbs in "-er", "-re", "-ir" give "-ent" (aprenent — learning, escrivint — writing). On its own it answers "how?": Va corrent al mercat parlant per telèfon — he ran to the market talking on the phone.
With the verb estar the gerund means the process right now: Estic estudiant català — I am (currently) studying Catalan. And with the verb anar — gradualness, step by step: Vaig aprenent poc a poc — I am learning little by little; Va millorant — it keeps getting better. For a language this is the main honest formula: nobody learned it at once — everyone "vaig aprenent".
Table
| frame | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| estar + gerundi | the process now | estic estudiant |
| anar + gerundi | gradualness | vaig aprenent |
| gerund as adverbial | how, when | parlant per telèfon |
By example
- Vaig aprenent poc a poc: cada setmana entenc mésI am learning gradually: every week I understand more
- Estic estudiant la lliçó cinc amb els apuntsI am (sitting and) studying lesson five with the notes
- Va aprendre parlant amb els veïns cada diaHe learned by talking with the neighbors every day
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
The gerund and gradualness: how does it work in Valencian?
The gerund is the form on -ant / -ent: verbs in "-ar" give "-ant" (estudiant — studying), verbs in "-er", "-re", "-ir" give "-ent" (aprenent — learning, escrivint — writing). On its own it answers "how?": Va corrent al mercat parlant per telèfon — he ran to the market talking on the phone.
What does it look like in an example sentence Valencian?
“Vaig aprenent poc a poc: cada setmana entenc més” — I am learning gradually: every week I understand more. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.