Aspect in periphrases: llevar, acabar por, venir a, andar + gerund

A periphrasis is a combination of a conjugated helper verb and an infinitive, gerund or participle that works as one unit: acabar de llegar, volver a empezar (acabar de, volver a, soler, empezar a + infinitive). The helper adds aspect: how the action unfolds in time (starting, continuing, finishing, repeating) or how the speaker sees it. At C1 these are what make your Spanish sound native rather than translated.

Llevar + participle: how much so far

You know llevar + time + gerund for duration (How long: hace … que, desde hace, llevar + gerund). With a participle, llevar counts the results achieved so far. The participle agrees with the object.

• Llevo corregidos cuarenta exámenes y me quedan otros veinte.I've marked forty exams so far and I've got another twenty to go.
• Llevamos recorridos más de cien kilómetros.We've covered more than a hundred kilometres so far.

Tener + participle works in a similar way, and often adds insistence: Te tengo dicho que no toques eso = I've told you (again and again) not to touch that. Tengo pensado = I'm planning to.

• Tengo pensado cambiar de trabajo el año que viene.I'm planning to change jobs next year.

Acabar por + infinitive, acabar + gerund: ending up

Both mean "to end up doing", after resistance or a long process. Terminar por and terminar + gerund are equivalent.

• Después de mucho dudar, acabó por aceptar la oferta.After much hesitation, he ended up accepting the offer.
• Si sigues así, acabarás perdiendo el trabajo.If you carry on like this, you'll end up losing your job.

Don't confuse it with acabar de + infinitive, which means "to have just done".

Venir a + infinitive: approximation and conclusion

Venir a softens a figure ("roughly, more or less") or presents a conclusion ("essentially, amounts to").

• El piso viene a costar unos trescientos mil euros.The flat costs roughly three hundred thousand euros.
• Este estudio viene a confirmar lo que ya sabíamos.This study essentially confirms what we already knew.

Venir + gerund: a process stretching up to now

Venir + gerund describes something that has been happening repeatedly or progressively up to the present, often with a starting point (desde). It is frequent in journalism and formal speech.

• Vengo avisando desde marzo de que el presupuesto no alcanza.I've been warning since March that the budget isn't enough.

Andar + gerund: going around doing

Andar + gerund is an activity spread around in different places or moments, often with a critical tone.

• Anda contando a todo el mundo que lo han ascendido.He's going around telling everyone he's been promoted.

Ir + gerund: gradual progress

• Los precios van subiendo poco a poco.Prices are gradually going up.

Other useful periphrases

• Llegó a ser una de las juristas más respetadas del país.She went on to become one of the most respected lawyers in the country.
• Quedamos en vernos después de las vacaciones.We agreed to meet after the holidays.
• Al oír la noticia, se echó a llorar.When she heard the news, she burst into tears.

Latin America

These periphrases are shared. In Mexico and parts of Central America you will also hear quedar de + infinitive for "to agree to" (quedamos de vernos), and andar + gerund is very frequent with no critical tone (ando buscando trabajo = I'm looking for work).

Common mistakes

• Llevo corregido cuarenta exámenes: with llevar + participle, the participle agrees with the object, corregidos.
• Acabó de aceptar for "he ended up accepting": that means "he finished accepting" (and acaba de aceptar = "he has just accepted"). Say acabó aceptando or acabó por aceptar.
• Viene a cuesta mil euros: venir a is followed by an infinitive, viene a costar.
• Se echó a la risa: the pattern is se echó a reír, with an infinitive.
• Using andar diciendo neutrally about a colleague: in Spain it often implies gossip or disapproval.