Present tense
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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).
Wikipedia news articles are written in present tense even though the events occurred in the past.
[edit] 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."
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 |
| you | walk |
| they | walk |
[edit] 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 |
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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 |
[edit] 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 |
[edit] 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 |
Portuguese sometimes uses the present tense where English has the present continuous. The present tense is used with a future sense more often than in English.
[edit] 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 |
[edit] Bulgarian present indicative tense
In Bulgarian, the present indicative tense of imperfective verbs is used very similarly as that of English, it can also be used as present progressive. Conjugation:
| 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.
[edit] 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 |
