Spanish grammar · Intermediate
Seguir Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples
Seguir means to follow / continue / keep doing. Stem-change e→i + spelling shift gu→g before a/o: sigo, sigues, sigue, seguimos, seguís, siguen. Seguir + gerund = keep doing (sigo estudiando). Common irregular.
Sigo estudiando español.
I keep studying Spanish.
What it is
Seguir means to follow, continue, or keep doing. Stem-change e→i plus a spelling shift gu→g before a or o. The yo form is sigo (not *seguo) because the u is only there to silence the g; with no following e/i, the u drops.
Sigo estudiando (I keep studying, sigo = yo form). Lo seguiré (I'll follow him, future regular).
How to spot it
Stem-change e→i in stressed forms. Yo: sigo. Tú: sigues. Subjunctive: siga, sigas. Common in: seguir + gerund (keep doing), seguir + accusative (follow someone), seguir a (follow on social media).
- Sigo a María en Instagram. — I follow María on Instagram.
- Sigue lloviendo. — It keeps raining.
- Seguiremos hablando. — We'll keep talking.
Same stem-change family as pedir (pido), servir (sirvo), repetir (repito). Spelling shift family with: distinguir, extinguir.
Seguir Conjugation Quick Reference
Seguir at a glance
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | sigo | seguí | seguía | seguiré | siga |
| tú | sigues | seguiste | seguías | seguirás | sigas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sigue | siguió | seguía | seguirá | siga |
| nosotros | seguimos | seguimos | seguíamos | seguiremos | sigamos |
| vosotros | seguís | seguisteis | seguíais | seguiréis | sigáis |
| ellos/Uds. | siguen | siguieron | seguían | seguirán | sigan |
Common Seguir Conjugation Examples in Spanish
Seguir across uses:
Following Someone / Something
- Sigo a María en Instagram.
- I follow María on Instagram.
- El perro me sigue siempre.
- The dog always follows me.
- Seguimos las instrucciones.
- We follow the instructions.
- Sigue las señales del camino.
- Follow the road signs.
Seguir + a + person (with personal a). Seguir + things / instructions without a.
Continuing / Keeping On
- Sigo aquí.
- I'm still here.
- Sigue lloviendo.
- It keeps raining.
- Seguimos siendo amigos.
- We're still friends.
- Siguen trabajando juntos.
- They keep working together.
Seguir = continue / still / keep on. With gerund or adjective.
Seguir + Gerund (Keep -ing)
- Sigo estudiando.
- I keep studying.
- Sigue lloviendo.
- It's still raining.
- Seguimos hablando del tema.
- We continue talking about the topic.
- Siguen viviendo en Madrid.
- They still live in Madrid.
Seguir + gerund is one of the most common Spanish constructions. Means 'keep doing' or 'continue to do.'
Asking About Status / Health
- ¿Cómo sigues?
- How are you doing? (lit. how do you continue?)
- Sigo bien.
- I'm still well.
- ¿Cómo sigue tu padre?
- How is your father doing?
- Sigue mejor.
- He's still better. / He's getting better.
Common informal check-in: ¿Cómo sigues? = How are you (continuing)? Sigo bien = I'm still well.
How to Conjugate Seguir Across Tenses
Present, Stem Change e→i + Spelling Shift
Sigo (no u before o), sigues (u kept before e), sigue, seguimos, seguís, siguen. The u after g is silent. We drop u before a/o (sigo, sigan) and keep u before e/i (sigues).
Sigo, sigues, sigue, seguimos, seguís, siguen.
I follow, you follow, etc.
Drop u before a/o.
Preterite, e→i in 3rd Person
Seguí, seguiste, siguió, seguimos, seguisteis, siguieron. e→i shift in 3rd person singular and plural (like sentir, pedir).
Siguió el camino. Siguieron a la guía.
He followed the road. They followed the guide.
Preterite 3rd person: siguió / siguieron.
Subjunctive: Siga, Sigas
Siga, sigas, siga, sigamos, sigáis, sigan. All forms drop the u (because they all start with a sound that doesn't need it).
Espero que sigas estudiando.
I hope you keep studying.
Subjunctive: drop u throughout.
Gerund: Siguiendo
Gerund has e→i: siguiendo. Used in estoy siguiendo, sigue siguiendo, etc.
Estoy siguiendo tu consejo.
I'm following your advice.
Gerund: siguiendo (e→i).
Common Mistakes with Seguir Conjugation
Incorrect: Yo seguo a María. — I follow María.
Correct: Yo sigo a María. — I follow María.
Two changes: e→i (sig-) and u dropped before -o (no need for silent u since g is followed by o, not e/i). Yo form is sigo.
Incorrect: Él seguió las instrucciones. — He followed the instructions.
Correct: Él siguió las instrucciones. — He followed the instructions.
Preterite 3rd person has e→i: siguió. Same shift pattern as sentir, pedir, mentir.
Incorrect: Sigo a estudiar. — I keep studying.
Correct: Sigo estudiando. — I keep studying.
Seguir + gerund (not seguir + a + infinitive). Sigo estudiando = I keep studying. NOT *sigo a estudiar.
Seguir Across Every Tense
Stem change e→i + spelling shift gu→g before a/o.
Present (e→i + Spelling)
Drop u before o; keep u before e.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Boot + spelling shift.
Preterite (e→i in 3rd Person)
e→i in sigió / siguieron.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same as sentir / pedir.
Imperfect (Regular)
Standard imperfect.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Regular.
Future / Conditional / Subjunctive / Compound
Future / cond. regular. Subj. drops u throughout.
| yo (future) |
| yo (conditional) |
| yo (present subjunctive) |
| yo (present perfect) |
Past participle seguido regular.
Seguir Conjugation FAQs
- What does seguir mean?
- Seguir means to follow (a person, instructions, signs), to continue / keep on, or to still be doing something. Seguir + gerund = keep doing X (sigo estudiando = I keep studying).
- How do you conjugate seguir in the present?
- Sigo, sigues, sigue, seguimos, seguís, siguen. Two changes: stem e→i in stressed forms, and spelling u dropped before o (yo sigo, not *siguo).
- What's the preterite of seguir?
- Seguí, seguiste, siguió, seguimos, seguisteis, siguieron. 3rd person singular (siguió) and plural (siguieron) have e→i shift.
- What does seguir + gerund mean?
- Seguir + gerund = keep doing / continue doing / still doing. Sigo estudiando = I keep studying. Sigue lloviendo = it keeps raining. One of the most useful Spanish constructions for expressing ongoing actions.
- How can I master seguir?
- Drill the unique yo form (sigo, no u). Practice seguir + gerund (sigo / sigues / sigue + -ando / -iendo). Notice the e→i shifts in preterite 3rd person and subjunctive. Parrot's videos show seguir in real conversations.