Verbal Periphrases in Spanish.
From SD Reference section.
Verbal periphrasis
In Spanish, a verbal periphrasis is a verbal construction of two verbs (one in a personal form and another in an impersonal form) that function as a single verb would.
Voy a comprar una camisa. (I am going to buy a shirt.) Está nadando muy bien. (He is swimming very well.) Empezamos a estudiar español hace un año. (We began to study Spanish a year ago.) Periphrasis Construction
Many verb phrases have a helper verb, which is fully conjugated, but doesn’t provide the main meaning of the verbal phrase, and also a second non-finite verb (an infinitive or a participle) which is not conjugated, but provides the actual action and meaning of the verbal phrase.
conjugated verb + (preposition) + non-finite verb (infinitive/participle) Voy a estudiar. (I am going to study.)
Voy is the helping verb and tells us the subject is I, but it does not tell us what the action of the phrase is. It is not translated as going anywhere as there is not physical movement implied, but rather what a subject is about to do or going to do.
Estudiar is the helped verb and tells us the action is study. The whole verbal phrase, or periphrasis is about studying (not going).
¿Has ido a España? (Have you been to Spain?)
Has is the helping verb and tells us the subject is you, but does not tell us the action of the phrase. It is not translated as having or possessing anything, but rather what a subject has done in the past.
Ido is the helped verb and tells us the action is gone. The periphrasis is about having gone somewhere, (not having something).
Están leyendo un libro. (She is reading a book.)
Están is the helping verb and tells us the subject is they, but does not tell us the action of the phrase. It is not translated as they are any condition, but rather what a person is doing.
Leyendo is the helped verb and tells us the action is reading. The periphrasis is about them currently reading, not a description of their condition.
Common Verbal Periphrases
Many of the most common verbal periphrases are listed below, grouped by the function of the second verb.
Verb + Infinitive
acabar de + infinitivo (to have just done something) acertar a + infinitivo (to manage to do something) acostumbrar a + infinitivo (to get used to doing something) alcanzar a + infinitivo (to be able to do something) cesar de + infinitivo (to cease to do something) comenzar a + infinitivo (to being to do something deber + infinitivo (to have to do something) dejar de + infinitivo (to stop doing something) echar(se) a + infinitivo (to burst/break into doing something) empezar a + infinitivo (to begin to do something) estar por + infinitivo (to be on the verge of doing something) estar a punto de + infinitivo (to be about to do something) haber de/que + infinitivo (to have to do something) ir a + infinitivo (going to do something) poder + infinitivo (to be able to do something) ponerse a + infinitivo (to start to do something) quedar por + infinitivo (to remain to do something) llegar a + infinitivo (to come to do something) romper a + infinitivo (to suddenly start doing something) soler + infinitivo (to do something usually) venir a + infinitivo (to come to do something) volver a + infinitivo (to return to do something) tardar en + infinitivo (to take a long time to do something) tener que + infinitivo (to have to do something) terminar de + infinitivo (to finish doing something) Verb + Present Participle
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
dejar + past participle (to appoint something) haber + past participle (to have done something) - all the perfect tenses llevar + past participle (to have done something) quedar + past participle (to remain something) sentirse + past participle (to have been “somethinged” - passive) tener + past participle (to maintain a state of something) traer + past participle (to maintain a state of something) verse + past participle (to have been something - passive)
