How do you form the gerund in Italian?

Remove the infinitive ending and add -ando for -are verbs or -endo for -ere and -ire verbs: parlando, credendo, partendo. A few verbs use an older stem: fare (facendo), dire (dicendo), bere (bevendo), tradurre (traducendo), porre (ponendo).

Is the Italian gerund the same as the English -ing form?

Only partly. The Italian gerund matches English -ing when it means by, while, or since doing something, and in the progressive with stare. When -ing works as a noun (swimming is fun) or follows a preposition (before leaving), Italian uses the infinitive.

Does the Italian gerund agree with the subject?

No. The simple gerund never changes: parlando is correct for any subject. Only the compound gerund with essendo shows agreement, in the past participle: essendo arrivata, essendo arrivati.

What is the compound gerund in Italian?

It is avendo or essendo plus a past participle, as in avendo mangiato or essendo partito. It describes an action that happened before the main verb, like English having eaten or having left.

Where do pronouns go with the Italian gerund?

They attach to the end of the gerund: vedendolo, parlandone, alzandomi. In the progressive with stare, they can also go before stare: lo sto facendo or sto facendolo.

Italian grammar · Intermediate

Italian Gerund

Written by Parrot Italian Team, Italian Curriculum Editors · Reviewed October 2026

The Italian gerund (il gerundio) is the verb form ending in -ando or -endo, as in parlando and leggendo. It is used with stare for actions in progress, and on its own to say how, when, or why something happens. It covers only some uses of English -ing: when -ing works as a noun or follows a preposition, Italian uses the infinitive.

Ho imparato l'italiano guardando film italiani.

I learned Italian by watching Italian films.

What it is

The gerund is a verb form that does not change for person, gender, or number. Parlando can refer to I, you, she, or they, and the main verb of the sentence tells you who. With stare it makes the progressive (sto parlando). Alone, it adds a second action that explains how, when, or why the main action happens, as English by doing, while doing, or since does.

parlare → parlando, credere → credendo, partire → partendo.

How to spot it

Look for a word ending in -ando or -endo. If stare comes before it, it is the progressive. If it stands alone, ask whether it means by, while, or because.

Sbagliando s'impara. (You learn by making mistakes.)
Ascolto la musica cucinando. (I listen to music while I cook.)
Essendo stanca, è rimasta a casa. (Since she was tired, she stayed at home.)
Sto scrivendo una lettera. (I'm writing a letter.)

The subject of the gerund is normally the same as the subject of the main verb. Ho visto Marco uscendo means I saw Marco as I was leaving, not as he was leaving.

Gerund Quick Reference

How to form the Italian gerund

Verb group	Ending	Infinitive	Gerund
-are	-ando	parlare	parlando
-ere	-endo	credere	credendo
-ire	-endo	partire	partendo
-ire with -isc-	-endo	finire	finendo
Irregular	-endo	fare	facendo

Common Gerund Examples in Italian

The Italian gerund in real sentences:

How: By Doing Something

Ho imparato l'italiano guardando film italiani.: I learned Italian by watching Italian films.
Risparmio andando al lavoro in bicicletta.: I save money by cycling to work.

English needs by before the -ing form. Italian expresses it with the gerund alone.

When: While Doing Something

Tornando a casa, ho incontrato Luca.: On my way home, I ran into Luca.
Mangia guardando la televisione.: He eats while watching television.

Both actions happen at the same time, and both have the same subject.

Why: Because or Since

Essendo stanca, Giulia è andata a letto presto.: Since she was tired, Giulia went to bed early.
Non avendo tempo, abbiamo preso un taxi.: Since we didn't have time, we took a taxi.

This use is common in writing. In speech, Italians often say siccome or perché instead.

With Pronouns Attached

Vedendolo, ho capito tutto.: When I saw him, I understood everything.
Parlandone con lei, ho cambiato idea.: Talking about it with her, I changed my mind.

Object pronouns, reflexive pronouns, ci, and ne attach to the end of a gerund that stands alone.

How the Italian Gerund Is Formed and Used

Two endings, a few irregular stems, and one form that never changes.

-are Verbs Take -ando

Remove -are from the infinitive and add -ando. Apart from fare, all -are verbs are regular in the gerund, including andare and stare.

Andando a piedi, arrivi in dieci minuti.

If you walk, you get there in ten minutes.

andare → andando, stare → stando.

-ere and -ire Verbs Take -endo

Remove -ere or -ire and add -endo. Verbs with -isc- in the present do not use it in the gerund.

Leggendo il giornale, ho trovato un articolo interessante.

While reading the newspaper, I found an interesting article.

leggere → leggendo, dormire → dormendo, capire → capendo.

A Few Verbs Use an Older Stem

Fare, dire, bere, tradurre, and porre form the gerund from the same stem as their imperfetto. Once you know facevo, you know facendo.

Facendo sport, ti senti meglio.

If you do sport, you feel better.

facendo, dicendo, bevendo, traducendo, ponendo.

The Gerund Never Changes

Unlike the past participle, the simple gerund has no masculine, feminine, or plural forms. The same word works for every subject.

Le ragazze sono uscite ridendo.

The girls went out laughing.

ridendo for one man, one woman, or a group.

Pronouns Attach to the End

When the gerund stands alone, pronouns attach to it and form one word. With stare, the pronoun can also go before stare.

Alzandomi presto, riesco a fare tutto.

By getting up early, I manage to do everything.

alzandomi, vedendolo, dicendoglielo.

Pur + Gerund Means Although

Put pur before the gerund to express a contrast, in the sense of English although or even though.

Pur essendo stanco, è uscito con gli amici.

Although he was tired, he went out with his friends.

pur + gerund = anche se + verb.

Common Mistakes with Gerund

Incorrect: Nuotando fa bene alla salute. (Swimming is good for your health.)

Correct: Nuotare fa bene alla salute. (Swimming is good for your health.)

When English -ing is the subject of the sentence, it is a noun. Italian uses the infinitive for this.

Incorrect: Prima di partendo, chiudi la porta. (Before leaving, close the door.)

Correct: Prima di partire, chiudi la porta. (Before leaving, close the door.)

Italian never puts a gerund after a preposition. Use the infinitive.

Incorrect: Lo vedendo, ho capito. (When I saw him, I understood.)

Correct: Vedendolo, ho capito. (When I saw him, I understood.)

With a gerund that stands alone, the pronoun attaches to the end and forms one word.

Incorrect: Ho visto Marco uscendo dal bar. (I saw Marco coming out of the bar.)

Correct: Ho visto Marco uscire dal bar. (I saw Marco coming out of the bar.)

The gerund refers to the subject of the main verb, so uscendo would mean that I was coming out. After vedere, use the infinitive or che + verb for another person's action.

Irregular Gerunds and the Compound Gerund

The simple gerund describes an action at the same time as the main verb. The compound gerund (gerundio passato) describes an action that happened before it.

The Compound Gerund: Avendo or Essendo + Past Participle

Use avendo with verbs that take avere, and essendo with verbs that take essere. With essendo, the participle agrees with the subject.

Pronoun	parlare (avere)	arrivare (essere)
io	avendo parlato	essendo arrivato / arrivata
tu	avendo parlato	essendo arrivato / arrivata
lui / lei / Lei	avendo parlato	essendo arrivato / arrivata
noi	avendo parlato	essendo arrivati / arrivate
voi	avendo parlato	essendo arrivati / arrivate
loro	avendo parlato	essendo arrivati / arrivate

Avendo finito il lavoro, sono uscito: having finished the work, I went out.

Common Irregular Gerunds

These forms are the same for every person.

Pronoun	fare	dire	bere	tradurre	porre
all persons	facendo	dicendo	bevendo	traducendo	ponendo

Essere and avere are regular in the gerund: essendo, avendo.

English -ing That Is Not an Italian Gerund

English uses -ing for many jobs. Italian uses the gerund for only some of them, and the infinitive or a clause for the others.

-ing as the subject of a sentence

When the -ing form works as a noun, Italian uses the infinitive.

Nuotare fa bene.: Swimming is good for you.
Mi piace cucinare.: I like cooking.

Nuotando fa bene is wrong, because nothing in the sentence does the swimming.

-ing after a preposition

After prima di, senza, invece di, and other prepositions, Italian uses the infinitive, never the gerund.

Prima di partire, chiudi le finestre.: Before leaving, close the windows.
È uscito senza salutare.: He left without saying goodbye.

Dopo takes the past infinitive: dopo aver mangiato, after eating.

-ing that describes another person

When the -ing form describes someone other than the subject, Italian uses che + verb or an infinitive after verbs of seeing and hearing.

Ho visto Marco che usciva dal bar.: I saw Marco coming out of the bar.
Ho sentito i bambini cantare.: I heard the children singing.

A gerund here would refer to the subject of the main verb, which changes the meaning.

Quick Check: Gerund

Complete each sentence with the gerund or the past participle of the verb in brackets.

1. (leggere) Ho imparato molto ___ questo libro.

Answer: leggendo

-ere verbs take -endo.

2. (fare) ___ sport, ti senti meglio.

Answer: Facendo

Fare has the irregular gerund facendo.

3. (bere) ___ troppo caffè, non dormo bene.

Answer: Bevendo

Bere has the irregular gerund bevendo.

4. (finire) Avendo ___ i compiti, siamo usciti.

Answer: finito

Avendo + past participle is the compound gerund.

5. (arrivare) Essendo ___ in ritardo, le ragazze hanno perso il treno.

Answer: arrivate

With essendo, the participle agrees with the subject: feminine plural.

Gerund FAQs

How do you form the gerund in Italian?: Remove the infinitive ending and add -ando for -are verbs or -endo for -ere and -ire verbs: parlando, credendo, partendo. A few verbs use an older stem: fare (facendo), dire (dicendo), bere (bevendo), tradurre (traducendo), porre (ponendo).
Is the Italian gerund the same as the English -ing form?: Only partly. The Italian gerund matches English -ing when it means by, while, or since doing something, and in the progressive with stare. When -ing works as a noun (swimming is fun) or follows a preposition (before leaving), Italian uses the infinitive.
Does the Italian gerund agree with the subject?: No. The simple gerund never changes: parlando is correct for any subject. Only the compound gerund with essendo shows agreement, in the past participle: essendo arrivata, essendo arrivati.
What is the compound gerund in Italian?: It is avendo or essendo plus a past participle, as in avendo mangiato or essendo partito. It describes an action that happened before the main verb, like English having eaten or having left.
Where do pronouns go with the Italian gerund?: They attach to the end of the gerund: vedendolo, parlandone, alzandomi. In the progressive with stare, they can also go before stare: lo sto facendo or sto facendolo.