Venía cantando vs Estaba cantando

Question

Hello The thing that I wanted to ask you is : Is there a big difference between

Estaba cantando and Venía cantando?

Thanks

Yes, the verb. - Oshnaj, Aug 14, 2016

Answer 1

This page has a good discussion of the use of gerunds with verbs other than estar. Regarding venir, it says (among other things)

Venir + gerund: This construction often refers to something that has
been occurring for a long time and is still continuing. It sometimes
conveys frustration that the action isn't complete.

Answer 2

Hello Matty

Very interesting question

Jtaniel quoted this guidance about using venir with a gerund:

Venir + gerund: This construction often refers to something that has been occurring for a long time and is still continuing. It sometimes conveys frustration that the action isn't complete.

In response to your question and Jtaniel's response, I have decided to post my own response:

Well, In Spain they often use a different verb combined with the gerund to indicate that an action is ongoing, that is to say, that a person has been doing something for some time and is continuing to do it!

They use the verb llevar in an idiomatic way + the gerund

p.ejs (por ejemplos) :

1.Llevo aprendiendo español siete años = I have been learning Spanish for seven years.

2.Llevamos viviendo en Madrid diez años = We have been living in Madrid ten years.

3.Llevan trabajando como ingenieros tres años = They have been working as engineers for three years.

It is essential to include the period of time that the action has been continuing with this construction, as my native Spanish teacher has told me several times! She made no mention of a sense of frustration about the action still not being completed with this verb compared to venir but the context would make it clear like in the example below of waiting for a bus for two hours!

The Spanish people also use the present tense of the verb hacer in an idiomatic way to indicate that an action has occured in the past and been continuing up to the present:

P.ej: ¡Hace dos horas que esperamos un aútobus! = We have been waiting for a bus for two hours!

If the person used to do the action but is no longer continuing to do it, they use a compound construction using estar instead:

Has estado conduciendo los aútobus más de treinta años = You have been driving buses for more than thirty years.

I hope this helps

Corrijan mi español si es necesario, por favor