Unit 108 Guidebook: use gerunds
KEY PHRASES
Use gerunds
Credendo di essere sulla strada giusta, ho aspettato per ore.
Believing I was on the right path, I waited for hours.
Believing I was on the right path, I waited for hours.
Non capendo come vincere, ho perso.
Not understanding how to win, I lost.
Not understanding how to win, I lost.
Sapendo poco inglese, ha comunque capito benissimo.
Knowing little English, he nonetheless understood very well.
Knowing little English, he nonetheless understood very well.
Possiamo sempre fare qualcosa rimanendo qui.
We can always do something by staying here.
We can always do something by staying here.
TIP
A cosa stai pensando?
In English, verbs have an ‑ing form, for example finding, going, etc. In a similar way, Italian verbs have an ‑ndo form, like trovando or andando.
Most ‑are verbs use the ending ‑ando, while ‑ere and ‑ire verbs use ‑endo.
| verb | ‑ndo form |
|---|---|
| pensare to think |
pensando thinking |
| sapere to know |
sapendo knowing |
| capire to understand |
capendo understanding |
Sto pensando di andare all'estero.
I am thinking about going abroad.
I am thinking about going abroad.
TIP
Cosa sta succedendo?
In English, we can use to be plus an ‑ing verb to talk about what you're doing right now.
In Italian, you can do the same thing, but you'll need to use stare plus an ‑ndo verb, as in Lui sta lavorando or Noi stiamo guardando la partita.
Noi stiamo andando al negozio.
We are going to the store.
We are going to the store.
Io sto parlando con il mio studente.
I am speaking with my student.
I am speaking with my student.
TIP
Cosa stai facendo?
Some verbs have special ‑ndo forms. But don't worry, there are just a few! Here they are:
| verb | ‑ndo form |
|---|---|
| fare | facendo |
| dire | dicendo |
| bere | bevendo |
Cosa stai facendo nell'angolo?
What are you doing in the corner?
What are you doing in the corner?
Non capisco cosa stai dicendo.
I do not understand what you are saying.
I do not understand what you are saying.