Example: Sigo a mi amigo en las redes sociales. — I follow my friend on social media.
Conjugations
The verb seguir is irregular in several tenses, primarily due to the stem change e → i and the addition of a "u" in some forms to preserve the soft "g" sound.
| Tense | Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | sigo<br>sigue<br>sigue | seguimos<br>siguen<br>siguen | I follow<br>he/she follows<br>you follow<br>we follow<br>they follow |
| Preterite | seguí<br>siguió | seguimos<br>siguieron | I followed<br>he/she followed<br>we followed<br>they followed |
| Imperfect | seguía | seguíamos | I was following / used to follow<br>we were following / used to follow |
| Future | seguiré | seguiremos | I will follow<br>we will follow |
| Conditional | seguiría | seguiríamos | I would follow<br>we would follow |
| Present Subjunctive | siga | sigamos | I follow (subj.)<br>we follow (subj.) |
| Imperfect Subjunctive | siguiera | siguiéramos | I followed (subj.)<br>we followed (subj.) |
Key Irregularities
- Present Indicative and Subjunctive: The stem changes from segu- to sig- before endings that begin with -i- or -e- (e.g., sigo, sigas).
- Preterite: Only the third person singular and plural forms undergo stem change (siguió, siguieron).
- "u" Insertion: In forms like sigo and siguió, a u is added after g to maintain the soft "g" sound before i or e.
Usage
Seguir* is a versatile verb with several common uses beyond the basic meaning of "to follow."
. To physically follow someone or something
- Sigo a ese hombre por la calle.* — I follow that man down the street.
- Los perros siguen al dueño.* — The dogs follow the owner.
. To continue or keep doing something
- Sigue estudiando.* — Keep studying.
- Sigo trabajando en el proyecto.* — I'm still working on the project.
. To understand or keep up with
- No sigo la conversación.* — I’m not following the conversation.
- ¿Sigues lo que digo?* — Are you following what I’m saying?
. To pursue or go after (goals, advice, orders)
- Sigue tus sueños.* — Follow your dreams.
- Sigue las instrucciones.* — Follow the instructions.
. In social media contexts (modern usage)
- Sigo a muchos influencers en Instagram.* — I follow many influencers on Instagram.
Common Expressions
- seguir adelante — to move forward, to carry on
- A pesar de todo, seguimos adelante.* — Despite everything, we carry on.
- seguir + gerund — to keep doing something (ongoing action)
- Sigo leyendo.* — I’m still reading.
- seguir sin + infinitive — to still not do something
- Sigo sin entender.* — I still don’t understand.
- no seguir ni jota — to not follow/don’t understand at all (colloquial)
- No sigo ni jota de matemáticas.* — I don’t understand math at all.
What does "seguir sin + infinitive" mean?
It means the subject still has not done the action expressed by the infinitive.
Seguir sin + infinitive shows that an action has not been done up to the present moment, as in sigo sin entender (I still don’t understand).
Tips
- Always remember the e → i stem change in the present tense (sigo, sigues, etc.).
- Don’t forget the u after g in forms like sigo and siguió to keep the pronunciation soft.
- Practice the two different preterite forms (seguí vs. siguió) to get comfortable with the stem change rules.
- Use seguir + gerund to express ongoing actions in a more advanced way.
With practice, you’ll be able to use seguir confidently in a variety of situations, from everyday conversation to more complex writing.
Flashcards (1 of 7)
- Tense: Present
- Singular: sigo<br>sigue<br>sigue
- Plural: seguimos<br>siguen<br>siguen
- English: I follow<br>he/she follows<br>you follow<br>we follow<br>they follow
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
