Why Seguir Is Spanish's Verb for "Still"
Seguir means to follow — but its most useful job in everyday Spanish is expressing continuity: something that still is, still isn't, or keeps going. English scatters this across still, keep, and continue. Spanish puts it all in one verb, with a handful of chunks that cover almost every case.
Pattern 1: Seguir + gerund — "To keep doing" / "To still be doing"
The core continuity pattern, and a close cousin of estar + gerund. Where estar says an action is in progress, seguir says it hasn't stopped.
- Sigo esperando su respuesta. — I'm still waiting for their answer.
- Siguen discutiendo por lo mismo. — They keep arguing about the same thing.
- ¿Sigues trabajando en ese proyecto? — Are you still working on that project?
Chunk to learn:
Seguir + [gerund] — to keep doing / still be doing
Pattern 2: Seguir sin + infinitive — "Still hasn't"
The negative counterpart, and one of the most useful chunks in the whole language. English needs still hasn't or still doesn't; Spanish uses seguir sin, which often carries a note of frustration or surprise.
- Sigue sin llamar. — He still hasn't called.
- Seguimos sin saber la verdad. — We still don't know the truth.
- Sigo sin entenderlo. — I still don't understand it.
Chunk to learn:
Seguir sin + [infinitive] — to still not have / still not be doing
Pattern 3: Seguir + adjective / igual — "To still be" / "To stay"
Use seguir directly before an adjective or an adverb to say a state hasn't changed. Todo sigue igual is one of the most common sentences in the language.
- Todo sigue igual por aquí. — Everything is still the same around here.
- Mi abuelo sigue enfermo. — My grandfather is still ill.
- Ella sigue tan simpática como siempre. — She's still as friendly as ever.
Chunk to learn:
Seguir + [igual / enfermo / aquí / adjective] — to still be / remain
Pattern 4: Seguir adelante — "To keep going" / "To move on"
A fixed phrase for persevering after a setback or pushing forward with a plan. It sits close to salir adelante, but seguir adelante focuses on not stopping, rather than on coming through a hard time.
- Hay que seguir adelante. — We have to keep going.
- Sigue adelante, no te rindas. — Keep going, don't give up.
- Decidieron seguir adelante con el proyecto. — They decided to go ahead with the project.
Chunk to learn:
Seguir adelante (con + [noun]) — to keep going / move on / go ahead
Pattern 5: Seguir + directions / instructions — "To follow"
The literal meaning is still alive, and it's essential for giving directions and talking about advice. Seguir recto (or seguir todo recto) is the standard instruction for "keep going straight ahead."
- Siga todo recto hasta el semáforo. — Keep going straight until the traffic light.
- Sigue las instrucciones del manual. — Follow the instructions in the manual.
- Seguí su consejo y funcionó. — I followed her advice and it worked.
Chunk to learn:
Seguir recto / seguir las instrucciones / seguir un consejo
Pattern 6: Seguir en pie — "To still stand" / "To still be on"
Literally to remain on foot, this phrase works for both buildings that survived and plans or offers that are still valid. It's the natural way to ask whether something is still happening.
- ¿Sigue en pie lo de mañana? — Are we still on for tomorrow?
- La oferta sigue en pie hasta el viernes. — The offer still stands until Friday.
- El edificio sigue en pie después del terremoto. — The building is still standing after the earthquake.
Chunk to learn:
Seguir en pie — to still be on / still stand
One Verb for Continuity
Once you think of seguir as the verb for continuity instead of just following, these chunks all fall into place: still doing, still not doing, still being, keeping going, still standing.
Start with todo sigue igual and sigue sin + infinitive — you'll use both in your first week of real conversation.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.