seguir
/seˈɡiɾ/
The Spanish word seguir means to continue doing something or to keep moving in a certain direction.
seguir is used to describe the continuation of an action or the act of following a path or a person. While it can mean 'to follow', it is important to note that it does not mean 'to obey' or 'to follow an order', which is expressed by obedecer.
Which one should you use?
The term seguir can mean 'to follow' in the sense of a path or a person, but this is distinct from the concept of following a command or an order.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, seguir is commonly used instead of proseguir in both formal and informal speech.
How do you pronounce it?
/seˈɡiɾ/
Did you know?
- In a conversation, saying te sigo does not just mean 'I am walking behind you', but is the standard way to say 'I follow your logic' or 'I understand'.
- In some dialects, seguir can be used as a synonym for 'to remain' or 'to still be' in a certain state, such as sigo cansado for 'I am still tired'.
- The word seguir is a cognate of the English word 'suit' as in 'following suit'. Both stem from the idea of following a lead.
Examples in context
- La reunión se proseguirá en el salón principal.The meeting will continue in the main hall.
- ¿Seguís viendo la serie en Netflix?Are you still watching the series on Netflix?
- ¡No te preocupes, sigue adelante con tus planes de viaje!Don't worry, carry on with your travel plans!
- ¿Continuás viendo la serie?Are you still watching the series?
- Sigue caminando.Keep walking.
- Debes seguir caminando hacia el norte.You must keep walking towards the north.
- No podemos seguir trabajando sin café.We cannot continue working without coffee.
- ¿Vas a seguir estudiando esta noche?Are you going to keep studying tonight?
Example conversation
María and Mateo are walking in a park.
- MaríaMateo, ¿podemos seguir por este camino?Mateo, can we continue along this path?
- MateoSí, María, debemos seguir recto.Yes, María, we must keep going straight.
- MaríaEstá bien, voy a seguir el ritmo.Alright, I'm going to keep up the pace.
- Mateo¡Perfecto! Así llegaremos pronto.Perfect! That way we will arrive soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry seguir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries seguir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
