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Present tense

For referencing in Wikipedia, see .

The present tense is the tense (that is, the form of the verb) that may be used to express:

action at the present
a state of being;
a habitual action;
an occurrence in the (very) near future; or
an action that occurred in the past and continues up to the present.

There are two common types of present tenses to be found in most Indo-European languages: the present indicative (i.e., the combination of present tense and indicative mood) and the present subjunctive (i.e., the combination of present tense and subjunctive mood).

Germanic Languages

English

English, like other Germanic languages, has two tenses, past and non-past. These tenses have several aspects. The present tense aspects comprise:

present simple, which is used to describe both habits and or routines (I eat breakfast every morning at 6:30. I go to work every day), and general facts or the truth (The earth revolves around the sun);

We use the present simple for thoughts and feelings. (Ex. I think so, I like it.)

In the present simple, we use the verb without an ending. (Ex. I get the lunch ready at one o'clock, usually.) In the third person singular (after he, she, it, your friend and etc.,) however, the verb ends in -s or -es. (Ex. It gets busy on the weekends. Sarah catches the early train.)

present progressive or present continuous, which is used to describe events happening now, e.g. I am reading this wiki article, and I am thinking about editing it;

The present simple tense is very often used with adverbs of repeated time. Look at these examples (the adverbs are shown in bold): - I always come to school by cycle. - She frequently arrives here before me. - He never forgets to do his homework. - I often catch the late bus home.

When we want to state a fact or ask a question without any time reference, we use the present simple tense. - I live in Frankfurt. - She plays football but she does not play tennis. - For breakfast, he eats rice and drinks cold milk.

Statements about rules of nature and the way the world is are in the present simple tense. - The sun sets in the West. - Most babies learn to speak when they are about two years old. - Water boils at 100° Celsius.

present perfect progressive, which is used to describe events or actions that have begun at some point in the past and continue through the present, e.g. I have been reading this article for some time now.

The conjugation of the present indicative tense in regular verbs is as follows:

	to walk
I	walk
you	walk
he/she/it	walks
we	walk
they	walk

German present indicative tense

In German, the present tense is used in a rather different fashion from English. The present tense is a simple construction. There is no close equivalent to the English present continuous.

Here is an example of present tense conjugation in German:

	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

Romance Languages

The Romance languages are derived from Latin, and in particular western Vulgate Latin. As a result, their usages and forms are similar.

Latin present indicative tense

In Latin, the present tense can be translated as being progressive or simple. Below is an example of present indicative tense conjugation in Latin.

	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

French present indicative tense

In French, the present tense is used similarly to that of English. Below is an example of present tense conjugation in French.

	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 (and emphasise) the present continuous, expressions such as "en train de" or "en cours de" may be used. For example, Jean est en train de manger, may be translated as John is eating, John is in the middle of eating. On est en train de chercher un nouvel appartement may be translated as We are looking for a new apartment, we are in the process of finding a new apartment.

Italian present indicative tense

In Italian, the present tense is used almost identically to that of English. What follows is an example of present indicative tense conjugation in Italian.

	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 regular verbs, the present tense is conjugated according to the model below:

	acabar	comer	partir
eu	acabo	como	parto
tu	acabas	comes	partes
ele/ela/você	acaba	come	parte
nós	acabamos	comemos	partimos
vós	acabais	comeis	partis
eles/elas/vocês	acabam	comem	partem

In Portuguese, one sometimes uses the present tense where in English one would use the present continuous. The present tense is used with a future sense more often than in English.

Spanish present indicative tense

In Spanish, the present tense is used similarly to that of English. What follows is an example of present tense conjugation in Spanish.

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

Slavic Languages

Bulgarian present indicative tense

In Bulgarian, the present indicative tense of imperfective verbs is used very similarly to that of English. It can also be used as present progressive. Below is an example of present indicative tense conjugation in Bulgarian.

	писати*	говорити*	искати*	отваряти*
аз	пиша	говоря	искам	отварям
ти	пишеш	говориш	искаш	отваряш
той, тя, то	пише	говори	иска	отваря
ние	пишем	говорим	искаме	отваряме
вие	пишете	говорите	искате	отваряте
те	пишат	говорят	искат	отварят

*Archaic, no infinitive in the modern language.

Finno-Ugric Languages

Finnish present indicative tense

In Finnish, the pronouns have their own ending in the verb. These verbs may be used by themselves, without the pronoun (except he/she=hän).

	olla	laskea	antaa	katsoa	vapista
minä	olen	lasken	annan	katson	vapisen
sinä	olet	lasket	annat	katsot	vapiset
hän, se	on	laskee	antaa	katsoo	vapisee
me	olemme	laskemme	annamme	katsomme	vapisemme
te	olette	laskette	annatte	katsotte	vapisette
he, ne	ovat	laskevat	antavat	katsovat	vapisevat