5.4 High-Yield Verbal Periphrases: Ir a + Infinitivo, Tener que + Infinitivo, Estar + Gerundio

5.4 High-Yield Verbal Periphrases: Ir a + Infinitivo, Tener que + Infinitivo, Estar + Gerundio

A verbal periphrasis (perífrasis verbal) is a grammatical structure formed by combining a conjugated auxiliary verb with a non-finite verb form (an infinitive or a gerund), frequently connected by a preposition or conjunction:

$\textbf{Conjugated Auxiliary Verb} + (\text{Link: } \textit{a / que}) + \textbf{Non-Finite Verb (Infinitive / Gerund)}$

For a CEFR A1 learner, verbal periphrases are high-yield linguistic shortcuts. Instead of having to memorize complex synthetic verb tenses—such as the simple future (cantaré) or the conditional (estudiaría)—you can express future plans, immediate intentions, personal obligations, and ongoing actions simply by conjugating a familiar present-tense verb (ir, tener, estar) and appending an infinitive or gerund.

In the DELE A1 oral rater's scale, the top band for Tareas 1 and 2 lists perífrasis básicas among the basic grammar a strong candidate controls, and these structures appear constantly in the reading and listening texts (the Modelo 0 email says vamos a visitar San Sebastián). The Instituto Cervantes Niveles de referencia place ir a, tener que, hay que and estar + gerundio at A2, so at A1 they are mainly for recognition and for a few high-frequency uses in your own speech and writing.

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Periphrasis 1: Expressing the Future (Ir a + Infinitivo)

The periphrasis ir a + infinitivo expresses immediate intentions, planned actions, and near-future events. In everyday spoken and written Spanish across both Spain and Latin America, this construction is used far more frequently than the synthetic future tense.

Formula for the Near Future:
  [ Present Tense of IR ]  +  [ Preposition A ]  +  [ Base INFINITIVE ]
  (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van)  +  a  +  (hablar, comer, vivir...)

Conjugation Paradigm & Practical Examples

Critical DELE A1 Exam Applications

• Prueba 3 (Writing Tarea 2): A 30–40-word message or postcard can include a plan. Sentences like "El sábado voy a ir a la playa y voy a comer con mi familia" sound natural.
• Prueba 4 (Oral Tarea 3): If the interviewer asks "¿Qué va a hacer este fin de semana?", answer with "Voy a descansar..." or "Voy a visitar a...". Most Tarea 3 questions, however, are about your habits in the present tense.

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Periphrasis 2: Obligation & Necessity (Tener que vs. Hay que)

Spanish distinguishes clearly between personal obligation (directed at a specific individual or group) and impersonal obligation (general necessity, public rules, or universal recommendations).

1. Personal Obligation: Tener que + Infinitivo

When a specific person is obligated to perform an action, conjugate the irregular verb tener in the present tense, followed by the conjunction que, followed by the base infinitive:

$\textbf{Tener (conjugated)} + \textbf{que} + \textbf{Infinitivo}$

• Yo tengo que estudiar mucho para aprobar el DELE A1. (I have to study hard to pass DELE A1.)
• ¿Tienes que trabajar mañana por la mañana? (Do you have to work tomorrow morning?)
• Marta tiene que levantarse a las siete. (Marta has to get up at seven.)
• Nosotros tenemos que comprar las entradas hoy. (We have to buy the tickets today.)
• Ellos tienen que salir temprano para el aeropuerto. (They have to leave early for the airport.)

2. Impersonal Obligation: Hay que + Infinitivo

When stating a general rule, universal duty, or collective necessity where no specific grammatical subject is named, use the invariable form hay (from the verb haber), followed by que, followed by the base infinitive:

$\textbf{Hay} + \textbf{que} + \textbf{Infinitivo}$

• En la biblioteca hay que guardar silencio. (In the library one must keep quiet / you must be quiet.)
• Para viajar al extranjero hay que llevar el pasaporte. (To travel abroad it is necessary to carry a passport.)
• Para aprender un idioma hay que practicar todos los días. (To learn a language one has to practice every day.)
• En el hospital hay que apagar los teléfonos móviles. (In the hospital one must turn off mobile phones.)

Summary Comparison: Personal vs. Impersonal

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Periphrasis 3: Actions in Progress (Estar + Gerundio)

The progressive periphrasis estar + gerundio expresses an action that is actively taking place at the exact moment of speaking. It corresponds to the English "to be + -ing" (is singing, are eating).

$\textbf{Estar (conjugated)} + \textbf{Gerundio (-ando / -iendo)}$

1. Conjugation of Auxiliary Estar

Remember the present-tense forms of estar (which all carry written accents except the yo and nosotros forms):

• yo estoy
• tú estás
• él / ella / usted está
• nosotros / -as estamos
• vosotros / -as estáis
• ellos / ellas / ustedes están

2. Regular Gerund Formation

To form the regular gerund (gerundio), drop the infinitive ending and attach the appropriate suffix:

3. High-Yield Irregular Gerunds at DELE A1

At the A1 level, there are two primary irregular gerund patterns to recognize:

1. Orthographic Change to -yendo: When the stem of an -er or -ir verb ends in a vowel, the letter i in -iendo changes to y to avoid an unpronounceable three-vowel cluster:
   • leer ➔ le- + -iendo ➔ leyendo (reading)
   • oír ➔ o- + -iendo ➔ oyendo (hearing / listening)
   • creer ➔ cre- + -iendo ➔ creyendo (believing)
2. Stem-Vowel Shift (o ➔ u) in -IR Verbs:
   • dormir ➔ durmiendo (sleeping)

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Where Estar + Gerundio Helps at A1

The DELE A1 oral test has no picture-description task: Tarea 2 is a short talk on a topic from your own life, such as your week. Estar + gerundio is therefore not a required structure, but it is useful in three places:

1. Postcards and messages (writing Tarea 2): saying what you are doing right now or these days: Estoy en Sevilla y estoy visitando la ciudad con mi hermana.
2. Your own situation (oral Tareas 1 and 2): Ahora estoy estudiando español en una academia.
3. Listening and reading: recognising forms such as está lloviendo, estamos comiendo or están jugando in dialogues and messages.

Model Sentences for Messages and Short Talks
  - "Estoy de vacaciones en Málaga y estoy aprendiendo a nadar."
  - "Mi hermano está viviendo en Londres este año."
  - "Hoy está lloviendo mucho y estamos en casa."
  - "Ahora estoy estudiando para el DELE A1."
  - "Mis padres están viajando por Italia."

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Master Synthesis Table: The Three Core A1 Periphrases