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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.

Contents 1 English present indicative tense 2 Spanish present indicative tense 3 French present indicative tense 4 German present indicative tense 5 Italian present indicative tense 6 Portuguese present indicative tense 7 Latin present indicative tense 8 Bulgarian present indicative tense 9 Finnish present indicative tense 10 See also 11 External links

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

• Future tense
• Past tense
• Grammatical aspect
• SVO-p

• Simple Present Tense
• Complete descriptions of the English Tenses