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.
Why is a "u" inserted after the "g" in forms like sigo and siguió?
To preserve the soft "g" sound when it appears before "i" or "e".
The "u" is inserted to maintain the soft pronunciation of "g" before "i" or "e", following Spanish orthographic rules (e.g., digo, seguir). Without the "u", the "g" would have a hard sound.
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.
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
