⇒ In Spanish, a verbal periphrasis is a verbal construction made of two verb forms, a conjugated form and an impersonal form (an infinitive, a present participle, or a past participle).
⇒ Verbal periphrasis is used in the informal future, the present progressive, and the perfect tense.
⇒ For example:
| Voy a comprar una camisa.I am going to buy a shirt. |
| Está nadando muy bien.He is swimming very well. |
⇒ This first type of verbal periphrasis consists of a conjugated form of ir + a preposition + an infinitive. For example:
| Voy a estudiar.I am going to study. |
⇒ This second type of verbal periphrasis consists of a conjugated form of haber + a past participle. For example:
| ¿Has ido a España?Have you been to Spain? |
⇒ This third type of verbal periphrasis consists of a conjugated form of estar + a present participle. For example:
| Está leyendo un libro.She is reading a book. |
| Verb + Infinitive | Meaning |
|---|---|
| acabar de + infinitive | to have just done something |
| acertar a + infinitive | to manage to do something |
| acostumbrar a + infinitive | to get used to doing something |
| alcanzar a + infinitive | to be able to do something |
| cesar de + infinitive | to cease to do something |
| comenzar a + infinitive | to being to do something |
| deber de + infinitive | to have to do something |
| dejar de + infinitive | to stop doing something |
| echar(se) a + infinitive | to burst/break into doing something |
| empezar a + infinitive | to begin to do something |
| estar por + infinitive | to be on the verge of doing something |
| estar a punto de + infinitive | to be about to do something |
| haber de/que + infinitive | to have to do something |
| ir a + infinitive | going to do something |
| poder + infinitive | to be able to do something |
| ponerse a + infinitive | to start to do something |
| quedar por + infinitive | to remain to do something |
| llegar a + infinitive | to come to do something |
| romper a + infinitive | to suddenly start doing something |
| soler + infinitive | to do something usually |
| venir a + infinitive | to come to do something |
| volver a + infinitive | to return to do something |
| tardar en + infinitive | to take a long time to do something |
| tener que + infinitive | to have to do something |
| terminar de + infinitive | to finish doing something |
| Verb + Present Participle | Meaning |
|---|---|
| andar + present participle | to be doing something |
| estar + present participle | to be doing something |
| ir + present participle | to be gradually doing something |
| llevar + present participle | to continue to do something from the past |
| seguir + present participle | to keep doing something |
| venir + present participle | to have been doing something |
| Verb + Past Participle | Meaning |
|---|---|
| dejar hecho + past participle | to leave completed |
| haber + past participle | to have done something |
| llevar puesto + past participle | to have on |
| sentirse + past participle | to feel + past participle |
| verse + past participle | to see oneself as + past participle |