Present tense

The present tense is the tense (form of a verb) that is often used to express:

Action at the present time
A state of being
A habitual action
An occurrence in the near future
An action that occurred in the past and continues up to the present

There are two common types of present tenses found in most Indo-European languages: the present indicative (in the indicative mood) and the present subjunctive (subjunctive mood).

English present indicative tense

In English, the present tense is subdivided into the following forms:

Present simple: "I go to school every day."
Present progressive: "You are being rude." (at this moment)
Present perfect: "I have had two computers."
Present perfect progressive: "She has been living in London for a year."

Strictly speaking, these different "present tenses" are actually combinations of tenses and aspects (the progressive tenses include a continuous aspect).

Spanish present indicative tense

In Spanish, the present tense is used almost identically to that of English. Conjugation:

	hablar	comer	insistir
yo	hablo	como	insisto
tú	hablas	comes	insistes
él/ella/usted	habla	come	insiste
nosotros	hablamos	comemos	insistimos
vosotros	habláis	coméis	insistís
ellos/ellas	hablan	comen	insisten

French present indicative tense

In French, the present tense is used almost identically to that of English. Conjugation:

	parler	prendre	finir	partir
je	parle	prends	finis	pars
tu	parles	prends	finis	pars
il/elle/on	parle	prend	finit	part
nous	parlons	prenons	finissons	partons
vous	parlez	prenez	finissez	partez
ils/elles	parlent	prennent	finissent	partent

To express the present continuous, expressions such as "en train de" or "en cours de" are frequently used.

Jean est en train de manger. John is eating, John is in the middle of eating.

On est en train de chercher un nouvel appartement. We're looking for a new apartment, we're in the process of finding a new apartment.

German present indicative tense

In German, the present tense is used in a similar fashion. However it has no present continuous tense. Conjugation:

	gehen	sprechen	finden	laufen
ich	gehe	spreche	finde	laufe
du	gehst	sprichst	findest	läufst
er/sie/es	geht	spricht	findet	läuft
wir	gehen	sprechen	finden	laufen
ihr	geht	sprecht	findet	lauft
Sie	gehen	sprechen	finden	laufen

Italian present indicative tense

In Italian, the present tense is used almost identically to that of English. Conjugation:

	guardare	credere	partire	finire
io	guardo	credo	parto	finisco
tu	guardi	credi	parti	finisci
lui/lei/egli/ella	guarda	crede	parte	finisce
noi	guardiamo	crediamo	partiamo	finiamo
voi	guardate	credete	partite	finite
loro	guardano	credono	partono	finiscono

Portuguese present indicative tense

In Portuguese, the present tense is used almost identically to that of English. Conjugation:

	guardar	comer	partir	acabar
eu	guardo	como	parto	acabo
tu*	guardas	comes	partes	acabas
ele/você/a gente	guarda	come	parte	acaba
nós*	guardamos	comemos	partimos	acabamos
vós*	guardais	comeis	partis	acabais
eles/vocês	guardam	comem	partem	acabam

(*)These are rarely used in Brazilian Portuguese; instead they give preference to você (tu); vocês (vós), and a gente (nós).

Latin present indicative tense

In Latin, the present tense can be translated as being progressive or simple. Conjugation:

	plicāre	debēre	dicere	cupere	scīre
Ego	plicō	debeō	dīcō	cupiō	sciō
Tu	plicās	debēs	dīcis	cupis	scīs
Is, Ea, Id	plicat	debet	dicit	cupit	scit
Nos	plicāmus	debēmus	dīcimus	cupimus	scīmus
Vos	plicātis	debētis	dīcitis	cupitis	scītis
Ei, Eae, Ea	plicant	debent	dīcunt	cupiunt	sciunt

External links

Grammatical tenses

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Present tense