Present tense

For other uses, see Present tense (disambiguation).

The present tense is a grammatical tense whose principal function is to locate a situation or event in present time. The term "present tense" is usually used in descriptions of specific languages to refer to a particular grammatical form or set of forms; these may have a variety of uses, not all of which will necessarily refer to present time. For example, in the English sentence My train leaves tomorrow morning, the verb form leaves is said to be in the present tense, even though in this particular context it refers to an event in future time. Similarly, in the historical present, the present tense is used to narrate events that occurred in the past.

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

Present tense may be denoted by the glossing abbreviation PRES or PRS.

English

The present indicative of most verbs in modern English has the same form as the infinitive, except for the third-person singular form, which takes the ending -[e]s. The verb be has the forms am, is, are. For details see English verbs. For the present subjunctive, see English subjunctive.

A number of multi-word constructions exist to express combinations of present tense with aspect. The basic form of the present tense is called the simple present; there are also constructions known as the present progressive (or present continuous) (e.g. am writing), the present perfect (e.g. have written), and the present perfect progressive (e.g. have been writing).

Use of the present tense does not always imply present time. In particular, the present tense is often used to refer to future events (I am seeing James tomorrow; My train leaves at 3 o'clock this afternoon). This is particularly the case in condition clauses and many other adverbial subordinate clauses: If you see him,...; As soon as they arrive... There is also the historical present, in which the present tense is used to narrate past events.

For details of the uses of present tense constructions in English, see Uses of English verb forms.

Hellenic Languages

Modern Greek present indicative tense

In Modern Greek, the present tense is used similarly to the present tense in English, and they can also convey the present continuous. As with some other conjugations in Greek, some verbs in the present tense accept different (but equivalent) forms of use for the same person. What follows is an example of present tense conjugation in Greek for the verbs see (βλέπω), eat (τρώω) and love (αγαπώ).

	βλέπω	τρώω, τρώγω	αγαπώ, αγαπάω
εγώ	βλέπω	τρώω, τρώγω	αγαπώ, αγαπάω
εσύ	βλέπεις	τρως, τρώεις	αγαπάς
αυτός/αυτή/αυτό	βλέπει	τρώει, τρώγει	αγαπά(ει)
εμείς	βλέπουμε	τρώμε, τρώγομε, τρώγουμε	αγαπάμε, αγαπούμε
εσείς	βλέπετε	τρώτε, τρώγετε	αγαπάτε
αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά	βλέπουν(ε)	τρών(ε), τρώγουν(ε)	αγαπούν(ε), αγαπάν(ε)

Romance languages

The Romance languages are derived from Latin, and in particular western Vulgar 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	perdre	finir	partir
je	parle	perds	finis	pars
tu	parles	perds	finis	pars
il/elle/on	parle	perd	finit	part
nous	parlons	perdons	finissons	partons
vous	parlez	perdez	finissez	partez
ils/elles	parlent	perdent	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 similarly to that of English. What follows is an example of present indicative tense conjugation in Italian.

	parlare	vedere	sentire
io	parlo	vedo	sento
tu	parli	vedi	senti
egli/ella	parla	vede	sente
noi	parliamo	vediamo	sentiamo
voi	parlate	vedete	sentite
essi/esse	parlano	vedono	sentono

Portuguese and Spanish present indicative tense

The present tenses of Portuguese and Spanish are similar in form, and are used in similar ways. What follows is an example of the present indicative conjugation in Portuguese.

	falar	comer	insistir
eu	falo	como	insisto
tu	falas	comes	insistes
ele/ela/você	fala	come	insiste
nós	falamos	comemos	insistimos
vós	falais	comeis	insisteis
eles/elas	falam	comem	insistem

There follows an example of the corresponding conjugation in Spanish.

	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 / 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.

Macedonian present tense

The present tense of the Macedonian language is made of the imperfective verbs. The following table shows the conjugation of the verbs write (пишува/pišuva), speak (зборува/zboruva), want (сака/saka) and open (отвaра/otvara).

	пишува	зборува	сака	отвaрa
јас	пишувам	зборувам	сакам	отвaрам
ти	пишуваш	зборуваш	сакаш	отвaраш
тој, таа, тоа	пишува	зборува	сака	отвaра
ние	пишуваме	зборуваме	сакаме	отвaраме
вие	пишувате	зборувате	сакате	отвaрате
тие	пишуваат	зборуваат	сакаат	отвaраат

See also

• Grammatical aspect
• Tense–aspect–mood

External links

• English Page
• 4 Present Tenses Explained
• Using the present tenses in English
• English Grammar Worksheets