B1 · Intermédiaire Chapitre 9

Describing Habits and Ongoing Actions

4 Règles totales
43 exemples
6 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of describing your daily life, ongoing progress, and habits with native-like precision.

  • Express habits fluently using the verb 'soler'.
  • Describe ongoing actions using 'seguir' and 'llevar'.
  • Transform adjectives into descriptive adverbs effortlessly.
Speak about your life with natural rhythm.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Ready to level up your Spanish, friend? In this chapter, you're going to learn how to talk about your habits and actions in progress just like a native speaker. It's time to say goodbye to those repetitive normalmente phrases and get fluent with soler + infinitive. For example, instead of just saying normalmente tomo café (I normally drink coffee), you'll learn to express it more idiomatically as suelo tomar café. It sounds so much more natural! Next, we'll dive into seguir + gerundio, perfect for showing that an action is *still* ongoing. Imagine telling a friend you're still studying for that tough exam – this structure will help you convey it smoothly and naturally. You'll also master how to use llevar + time + gerundio to express how long you've been doing something, without needing prepositions like for. Think about saying "I've been learning Spanish for two years" with native precision. But here's a super exciting part: how to say you're doing something *again* without overusing otra vez. With volver a + infinitive, you can naturally say things like "I'm reading that book again" and sound incredibly authentic. Finally, you'll pick up a highly practical skill: transforming adjectives into adverbs by simply adding -mente to the feminine form, allowing you to add beautiful detail to your descriptions, like quickly or slowly. After completing this chapter, you'll be able to fluently describe your daily routines, explain how long you've been pursuing a hobby or still working on a task, and talk about repeated actions with native flair. Get ready to sound like a true B1 Spanish speaker!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Describe your daily routine without using repetitive frequency adverbs.

Guide du chapitre

Overview

Ready to truly elevate your Spanish grammar skills to a B1 level? This chapter is your gateway to sounding more natural and fluent when talking about your daily life, routines, and ongoing activities. We’re moving beyond basic expressions and diving into idiomatic structures that native speakers use all the time.
Forget clunky, direct translations; you’re about to unlock a new level of conversational grace. Mastering these patterns is crucial for anyone aiming for B1 Spanish proficiency, allowing you to express yourself with greater precision and authenticity.
In this guide, you’ll discover how to talk about habits with the elegant verb soler + infinitive, which is far more natural than constantly saying normalmente. You'll also learn to indicate actions that are *still* happening using seguir + gerundio, perfect for those moments when you need to emphasize continuity. Ever wondered how to say you've been doing something for a specific period without awkward prepositions? Llevar + time + gerundio is your answer.
We'll also equip you with volver a + infinitive to effortlessly describe repeating actions, making again sound wonderfully native. And to add beautiful detail to your descriptions, you’ll master transforming adjectives into adverbs by simply adding -mente. By the end of this chapter, you’ll be able to articulate complex ideas about duration, repetition, and ongoing processes with the ease and confidence of a true B1 Spanish speaker.

How This Grammar Works

Let's break down these essential Spanish grammar B1 structures. First up, for talking about habits, we use soler + infinitive. This verb, soler, means to usually do or
to tend to do.
It's typically conjugated in the present tense: suelo (I usually), sueles (you usually), suele (he/she/it usually), solemos (we usually), soléis (you all usually), suelen (they usually).
For example, Suelo leer antes de dormir (I usually read before sleeping).
To express that an action is *still* ongoing, we use seguir + gerundio. Seguir means to continue or to keep on. Its present tense conjugations are sigo, sigues, sigue, seguimos, seguís, siguen. You then attach the gerund (the -ing form) of the main verb.
For instance, Sigo estudiando para el examen (I'm still studying for the exam).
When you want to convey how long you've been doing something, the structure llevar + time + gerundio is invaluable. This avoids direct translations of for and sounds very natural. You conjugate llevar in the present tense (llevo, llevas, etc.), specify the duration, and then add the gerund.
An example: Llevo dos años aprendiendo español (I've been learning Spanish for two years).
For actions you're doing *again*, skip otra vez and use volver a + infinitive. Volver means to return or to do again. Its present tense forms are vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, volvemos, volvéis, vuelven. So, Vuelvo a leer este libro (I'm reading this book again).
Finally, to form adverbs from adjectives, simply take the feminine singular form of the adjective and add -mente. For example, from rápido/rápida (quick), you get rápidamente (quickly). From lento/lenta (slow), you get lentamente (slowly).
This allows you to describe actions with detail: Ella habla rápidamente (She speaks quickly).

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: Normalmente voy al gimnasio. (I normally go to the gym.)
✓ Correct: Suelo ir al gimnasio. (I usually go to the gym.)
*Explanation:* While normalmente is not incorrect, soler + infinitive is a more idiomatic and natural way for B1 Spanish speakers to express habits or usual actions. It adds a touch of native fluency.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: Estoy estudiando por dos horas. (I am studying for two hours.)
✓ Correct: Llevo dos horas estudiando. (I've been studying for two hours.)
*Explanation:* When expressing how long an action has been ongoing, llevar + time + gerundio is the correct and most natural structure in Spanish. Using por in this context is a common anglicism.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: Él conduce rápidomente. (He drives quickly.)
✓ Correct: Él conduce rápidamente. (He drives quickly.)
*Explanation:* Adverbs ending in -mente are formed by taking the *feminine singular* form of the adjective and adding -mente. Rápido is masculine; the feminine is rápida, hence rápidamente.

Real Conversations

A

A

¿Qué sueles hacer los fines de semana? (What do you usually do on weekends?)
B

B

Suelo ir de excursión y sigo practicando mi español. (I usually go hiking and I'm still practicing my Spanish.)
A

A

¡Qué bien! ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas aprendiendo español? (That's great! How long have you been learning Spanish?)
B

B

Llevo tres años aprendiéndolo, y cada día vuelvo a descubrir algo nuevo. (I've been learning it for three years, and every day I discover something new again.)
A

A

Tienes que hablar más lentamente para que te entienda bien. (You have to speak more slowly so I understand you well.)
B

B

¡Lo siento! Es que a veces hablo rápidamente sin darme cuenta. (I'm sorry! It's just that sometimes I speak quickly without realizing it.)

Quick FAQ

Q

Can I use *continuar + gerundio* instead of *seguir + gerundio*?

Yes, continuar + gerundio (e.g., continúo estudiando) is also perfectly valid and means the same thing. Both are common in Spanish grammar.

Q

Is *soler* only used in the present tense?

While most commonly used in the present to describe current habits, soler can also be used in the imperfect tense (e.g., solía ir) to talk about past habits.

Q

What's the difference between *volver a + infinitive* and *hacer algo otra vez*?

Both mean

to do something again,
but volver a + infinitive sounds much more natural and idiomatic in everyday Spanish. Otra vez is acceptable but can sometimes feel a bit more emphatic or repetitive.

Q

How do I know if an adjective is masculine or feminine before adding -mente?

Most adjectives ending in -o in the masculine form change to -a in the feminine (e.g., *rápido* -> *rápida*). Adjectives ending in -e or a consonant usually have the same form for both masculine and feminine (e.g., *fácil* -> *fácilmente*, *feliz* -> *felizmente*).

Cultural Context

These structures are not just grammatical rules; they are integral to how native Spanish speakers express themselves fluidly. Using soler instead of normalmente instantly makes your speech sound more authentic and less like a direct translation. Similarly, llevar + time + gerundio is the standard way to talk about ongoing duration, and its absence often indicates a learner.
Mastering volver a + infinitive and the -mente adverbs allows for nuanced and natural descriptions, moving beyond basic sentence construction. Integrating these patterns into your daily practice will significantly enhance your B1 Spanish conversational ability and help you connect more effectively in Spanish-speaking environments.

Exemples clés (8)

1

Suelo ver series en Netflix antes de dormir.

J'ai l'habitude de regarder des séries sur Netflix avant de dormir.

Parler des habitudes : Le verbe Soler (soler + infinitif)
2

Mi perro suele ladrar cuando llega el repartidor de Amazon.

Mon chien a l'habitude d'aboyer quand le livreur Amazon arrive.

Parler des habitudes : Le verbe Soler (soler + infinitif)
3

Sigo esperando el paquete de Amazon.

Je continue d'attendre le colis Amazon.

Continuer à faire : 'Seguir + Gérondif'
4

¿Sigues viendo esa serie en Netflix?

Tu continues de regarder cette série sur Netflix ?

Continuer à faire : 'Seguir + Gérondif'
5

Llevo dos años viviendo en este apartamento.

Ça fait deux ans que j'habite dans cet appartement.

Exprimer la durée : 'Ça fait... que je fais' (Llevar + Gérondif)
6

Llevas media hora mirando el menú, ¡decídete!

Ça fait une demi-heure que tu regardes le menu, décide-toi !

Exprimer la durée : 'Ça fait... que je fais' (Llevar + Gérondif)
7

Él llegó `rápidamente` al aeropuerto para no perder su vuelo.

Il est arrivé rapidement à l'aéroport pour ne pas manquer son vol.

Adverbes espagnols : Utiliser '-mente' (rapidement, lentement)
8

`Obviamente`, no voy a ir a esa fiesta si él está allí.

Évidemment, je n'irai pas à cette fête s'il est là.

Adverbes espagnols : Utiliser '-mente' (rapidement, lentement)

Conseils et astuces (4)

⚠️

Le piège du 'A'

Ne dis pas Suelo a ir. Ça sonne bizarre, un peu comme "J'ai l'habitude à aller" en français. C'est juste Suelo ir.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Parler des habitudes : Le verbe Soler (soler + infinitif)
⚠️

L'alternance vocalique

Fais attention à l'alternance vocalique (e → i) de 'seguir' ! Si tu dis seguo, tu vas sonner un peu italien, alors que c'est sigo pour 'yo'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Continuer à faire : 'Seguir + Gérondif'
⚠️

Pas de 'por' !

Attention ! On ne dit jamais 'Llevo por dos años'. Dis juste 'Llevo dos años'. Les francophones ont souvent envie d'ajouter 'depuis', mais résiste à la tentation !
Llevo tres años estudiando.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Exprimer la durée : 'Ça fait... que je fais' (Llevar + Gérondif)
⚠️

Le faux ami

Fais attention à actualmente. Ça veut dire 'actuellement', pas 'en fait'. Pour dire 'en fait', utilise de hecho ou en realidad.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbes espagnols : Utiliser '-mente' (rapidement, lentement)

Vocabulaire clé (5)

soler to be in the habit of seguir to continue/still llevar to carry/to have spent time rápidamente quickly diariamente daily

Real-World Preview

coffee

Catching up with a friend

Review Summary

  • soler (pres) + infinitive
  • seguir (pres) + gerundio
  • llevar (pres) + time + gerundio
  • adj (fem) + mente

Erreurs courantes

While 'normalmente' is not wrong, 'soler' is the idiomatic way to express habits.

Wrong: Normalmente voy al cine.
Correct: Suelo ir al cine.

Never use 'para' with 'llevar'. Always use the gerund (-ando/-iendo) directly.

Wrong: Llevo tres horas para estudiar.
Correct: Llevo tres horas estudiando.

Use the feminine adjective form before adding -mente. Rápida + mente = Rápidamente.

Wrong: Rápidoamente.
Correct: Rápidamente.

Next Steps

You are making incredible progress! Keep practicing these structures in your daily conversations, and you'll be fluent before you know it.

Write a paragraph about your morning routine using all new structures.

Continue to: Mastering Pronouns and Possession

Pratique rapide (10)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans cette phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

Nosotros sigo trabajando en el proyecto.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nosotros seguimos trabajando en el proyecto.
Le verbe 'seguir' doit s'accorder avec le sujet 'nosotros' (seguimos).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Continuer à faire : 'Seguir + Gérondif'

Trouve et corrige l'erreur

Find and fix the mistake:

Llevamos diez minutos esperar el autobús.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Llevamos diez minutos esperando el autobús.
Tu dois utiliser la forme gérondive 'esperando' après la période de temps avec 'llevar'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Exprimer la durée : 'Ça fait... que je fais' (Llevar + Gérondif)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans cette phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

Nosotros solemos a viajar mucho.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nosotros solemos viajar mucho.
Tu ne dois jamais mettre la préposition 'a' après 'soler'. Il se connecte directement à l'infinitif.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Parler des habitudes : Le verbe Soler (soler + infinitif)

Remplis le blanc avec la bonne forme de 'llevar'

Yo ___ tres años estudiando español.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: llevo
Le sujet 'Yo' demande la forme de 'llevar' à la première personne du singulier, qui est 'llevo'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Exprimer la durée : 'Ça fait... que je fais' (Llevar + Gérondif)

Quelle phrase suit la règle pour les adverbes multiples ?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Camina lenta y cuidadosamente.
Lorsque deux adverbes modifient le même verbe, seul le second prend le suffixe '-mente'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbes espagnols : Utiliser '-mente' (rapidement, lentement)

Complète la phrase avec l'adverbe correct formé à partir de 'fácil'.

Ella aprobó el examen ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fácilmente
L'adjectif 'fácil' garde son accent lorsqu'on ajoute le suffixe '-mente'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbes espagnols : Utiliser '-mente' (rapidement, lentement)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

Él corre rápidomente.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Él corre rápidamente.
Tu dois utiliser la forme féminine de l'adjectif ('rápida') avant d'ajouter '-mente'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbes espagnols : Utiliser '-mente' (rapidement, lentement)

Quelle phrase est grammaticalement correcte ?

Choose the best option:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ella sigue durmiendo.
'Seguir' est à alternance vocalique (sigue) et a besoin du gérondif (durmiendo).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Continuer à faire : 'Seguir + Gérondif'

Complète la phrase avec la forme correcte de 'soler'.

Yo ___ (soler) estudiar en la biblioteca.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: suelo
La forme pour 'yo' de 'soler' nécessite le changement de voyelle o -> ue, ce qui donne 'suelo'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Parler des habitudes : Le verbe Soler (soler + infinitif)

Remplis le blanc avec la forme correcte de 'seguir' et 'estudiar'.

Yo ___ (seguir + estudiar) para el examen.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sigo estudiando
Tu as besoin de la première personne 'sigo' et du gérondif 'estudiando'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Continuer à faire : 'Seguir + Gérondif'

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

Ça veut dire 'avoir l'habitude de faire quelque chose' ou 'être dans l'habitude de'. C'est un verbe qui sert spécifiquement à décrire des routines. Par exemple,
Suelo ir al cine
signifie 'J'ai l'habitude d'aller au cinéma'.
Parce qu'on l'utilise rarement dans des temps comme le futur ou le conditionnel. Il est presque exclusivement utilisé au présent et à l'imparfait. Par exemple, tu diras
Solía ir a la playa
pour 'J'avais l'habitude d'aller à la plage'.
'Seguir' est plus intégré et naturel. Alors que
Todavía estoy comiendo
est correct, Sigo comiendo est plus percutant et courant en espagnol parlé.
Non. Dans ce contexte, il DOIT être suivi d'un gérondif. Sigo hablar est incorrect ; utilise Sigo hablando.
Oui ! Tu peux dire 'Llevo tres años en Madrid' sans gérondif. Ça sous-entend que tu y vis, mais le gérondif le rend plus explicite. C'est une façon plus courte de s'exprimer.
Non, tu peux utiliser 'Llevaba' pour le passé (j'avais fait) ou 'Llevaré' pour des étapes futures, mais le présent est de loin le plus courant. C'est la forme que tu utiliseras 90% du temps.
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