Proper spanish?

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

rolfdog

New member
Oct 9, 2006
164
2
0
Recently on a trip to Costa Rica, I saw several signs at a hotel that read:

Sonrie (with a big yellow smiley face)

Estas siendo grabado

Smile, you're being filmed(recorded)

What kind of construction is this? Present passive progressive?

What other ways can this be written? Estamos grabandote? Te grabas?

I thought it was interesting.

Steve
 
C

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Te estamos grabando. But the original sounds OK too, and your literal translation is correct. (Present continuous, passive.)
 
M

Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
Dec 26, 2003
4,821
766
113
El gerundio- To emphasize an action in progress-

Un grupo de 59 inmigrantes han llegado en un cayuco esta ma?ana al puerto de Los Cristianos, en el municipio tinerfe?o de Adeje, donde est?n siendo atendidos, seg?n han informado fuentes de la Subdelegaci?n del Gobierno.
Click to expand...
Steve,

I was glancing through today's paper, El Pa?s and this article caught my attention. Whenever, there's an article about illegal immigrants I read it because it tells the tale of a sad situation around the world. We see this with Cubans going to Miami, Dominicans to PR, Haitians to the DR (although there's no body of water to cross) and people from Western and Northern Africa risking their lives in 'pateras' and 'cayucos' to reach the coast of Spain, Italy and Tenerife Island just to name a few key locations.

When I read the article and saw the phrase 'est?n siendo atendidos', it reminded me of your question about the tense and usage. I just wanted to show you it's used in regular speech and writing. The key is to remember the role of the progressive tense(s) in Spanish aka el gerundio. The gerund focuses on the action, that it's happening now, actuality whereas the present tense does not imply that the action is immediate. As well, think in Spanish when you use the gerund not in English as there is a difference and the usage is less frequent.

Llega a Tenerife una patera con 59 inmigrantes ? ELPA?S.com


-LDG.
 
J D Sauser

J D Sauser

Silver
Nov 20, 2004
2,941
390
83
www.hispanosuizainvest.com
I don't know much about grammar, but yes, this I do recognize, it is the "gerundio" which is so typically used in over and over again in South America.
I was rather surprised to find that it is not so much (over)-used here in the DR.
It is proper Spanish and in Spain you will hear older people in some regions use it more.
You hear it a lot in songs too as it helps with riming as it will always add an "o" ending and sounds sweeter.

... J-D.
 
R

rolfdog

New member
Oct 9, 2006
164
2
0
Thanks for the replies. I understand present progressive and this construct makes sense to an english speaker. Do other combinations with ser and estar occur?

Soy estando llevado al aeropuerto. I am being driven to the airport.

Estoy estando golpeado por las olas. I am being pounded by the waves.

Ella es siendo considerada por on premio. She is being considered for an award.

I realize the choice of ser or estar follows certain rules and situations.
Does it have to be estar siendo...? Could someone provide a use of ser siendo..., estar estando... or ser estando...
 
E

Ezequiel

Bronze
Jun 4, 2008
1,801
81
48
rolfdog said:
Thanks for the replies. I understand present progressive and this construct makes sense to an english speaker. Do other combinations with ser and estar occur?

Soy estando llevado al aeropuerto. I am being driven to the airport.

{Me estan llevando al aeropuerto.}

Estoy estando golpeado por las olas. I am being pounded by the waves.

{Estoy siendo golpeado por las olas}

Ella es siendo considerada por on premio. She is being considered for an award.

{Ella esta siendo considerada para un premio.}

I realize the choice of ser or estar follows certain rules and situations.
Does it have to be estar siendo...? Could someone provide a use of ser siendo..., estar estando... or ser estando...
Click to expand...

{Me estan llevando al aeropuerto.}

{Estoy siendo golpeado por las olas}

{Ella esta siendo considerada para un premio.}

This is the correct way.
 
S

Stodgord

Bronze
Nov 19, 2004
668
14
0
Ezequiel said:
{Me estan llevando al aeropuerto.}

{Estoy siendo golpeado por las olas}

{Ella esta siendo considerada para un premio.}

This is the correct way.
Click to expand...


on the first one, can it be said diffently?

Estoy siendo llevado al aeropuerto
 
N

Norma Rosa

Bronze
Feb 20, 2007
1,127
58
0
Stodgord said:
on the first one, can it be said diffently?

Estoy siendo llevado al aeropuerto
Click to expand...

There are times when the progressive is not the best tense to use, even if the event is taking place. Furthermore, the passive voice should be avoided
whenever possible.

The subject of your sentence, although not stated, is Yo (I). Who is performing the action indicated in the sentence? Not the subject, therefore you have a passive voice. The passive voice plus the progressive tense don't always work harmoniously with each other. Your sentence above is not idiomatic.

Best:
Mis amigos me llevan . . . - Mis amigos me est?n llevando . . . Here you have a subject (amigos) performing the action (llevar).

Estoy siendo golpeado por las olas. (passive voice, good in poetry)

Best: Las olas me est?n golpeando. (The subject is performing the action.)

Norma
 
Last edited:
R

rolfdog

New member
Oct 9, 2006
164
2
0
Yes, I understand the present progressive which is formed with estar plus present participle. So, estar-ser combination has to be used? Can estar-estar be used? Estoy estando.... Is there a construction with estando.

Is the present participle of estar ever used?

Steve
 
N

Norma Rosa

Bronze
Feb 20, 2007
1,127
58
0
Chirimoya said:
Te estamos grabando. But the original sounds OK too, and your literal translation is correct. (Present continuous, passive.)
Click to expand...

(Nosotros) Te estamos grabando.
No passive voice here. The implied subject (nosotros) is performing the action in the sentence (grabando).

Norma
 
N

Norma Rosa

Bronze
Feb 20, 2007
1,127
58
0
rolfdog said:
Yes, I understand the present progressive which is formed with estar plus present participle. So, estar-ser combination has to be used?
Click to expand...

Estar is the helping verb used in the progressive tenses (indicative or subjunctive moods).
Yo estoy hablando. (Que yo) est? hablando . . .

Haber + estar are the helping verbs used in the perfect progressive tenses (indicative or subjunctive).
He estado hablando. (Que yo) haya estado hablando . . .


Can estar-estar be used? Estoy estando....
Click to expand...
No.


Is there a construction with estando. Is the present participle of estar ever used?
Click to expand...

Yes. (Not often)
Yo, estando enferma, . . . (I, being sick, . . . )
Click to expand...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom