Stare + gerundio: sto leggendo
Stare + gerundio: sto leggendo means “The progressive — but only for what is happening right now, never for the future”. Form the gerund by adding -ando to -are stems and -endo to -ere and -ire stems: parlando, leggendo, dormendo. Formation: stare (coniugato) + gerundio (-ando per -are · -endo per -ere/-ire) — imperfetto: stavo leggendo
The progressive — but only for what is happening right now, never for the future
A2Formation
stare (coniugato) + gerundio (-ando per -are · -endo per -ere/-ire) — imperfetto: stavo leggendo
Explanation
Form the gerund by adding -ando to -are stems and -endo to -ere and -ire stems: parlando, leggendo, dormendo. A few are irregular: fare → facendo, dire → dicendo, bere → bevendo. Combined with stare it describes an action in progress at this very moment: sto mangiando, stanno uscendo. In the imperfetto it describes what was going on: stavo dormendo quando hai chiamato. The crucial restriction for English speakers: Italian never uses this form for future plans. 'I'm going to Rome tomorrow' is domani vado a Roma, never *sto andando a Roma domani. Also, unlike English, the simple present already covers habitual and ongoing action, so the progressive is used far less often.
Examples
Note
English speakers over-use this form. If the action is not literally happening as you speak, use the simple present: lavoro a Milano, not *sto lavorando a Milano (unless you mean right now).
FAQ
Stare + gerundio: sto leggendo — what does it mean and how is it used?
The progressive — but only for what is happening right now, never for the future. Form the gerund by adding -ando to -are stems and -endo to -ere and -ire stems: parlando, leggendo, dormendo. A few are irregular: fare → facendo, dire → dicendo, bere → bevendo. Combined with stare it describes an action in progress at this very moment: sto mangiando, stanno uscendo. In the imperfetto it describes what was going on: stavo dormendo quando hai chiamato. The crucial restriction for English speakers: Italian never uses this form for future plans. 'I'm going to Rome tomorrow' is domani vado a Roma, never *sto andando a Roma domani. Also, unlike English, the simple present already covers habitual and ongoing action, so the progressive is used far less often.
Stare + gerundio: sto leggendo — how do you form it?
stare (coniugato) + gerundio (-ando per -are · -endo per -ere/-ire) — imperfetto: stavo leggendo
Stare + gerundio: sto leggendo — any usage notes?
English speakers over-use this form. If the action is not literally happening as you speak, use the simple present: lavoro a Milano, not *sto lavorando a Milano (unless you mean right now).