Present tense usage – ongoing actions
Je mange = I eat / I am eating
French has only one present tense. It covers both English present tenses: I eat and I am eating.
One tense, two meanings
- Je travaille à Lyon.I work in Lyon. (habit)
- Je travaille, je te rappelle.I'm working, I'll call you back. (right now)
- Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? – Je lis.What are you doing? – I'm reading.
So never translate I am reading word for word. Je suis lis and je suis lisant are wrong.
Être en train de: "in the middle of"
To stress that an action is in progress right now, use être en train de + infinitive:
- Je suis en train de cuisiner.I'm (busy) cooking.
- Ils sont en train de regarder un film.They're in the middle of watching a film.
Other uses of the present
- Near future, with a time word: Je pars demain. = I'm leaving tomorrow.
- Since/for, with depuis: J'habite ici depuis cinq ans. = I've lived here for five years. See Depuis, il y a, pendant.
- General truths: L'eau bout à 100 degrés.
- Telling stories vividly (the "historic present").
With depuis, English uses a perfect tense but French uses the present. This trips up almost every English speaker.
Practice
- I am reading.Options: Je lis. · Je suis lis. · Je suis lire.
Show the answer
Je lis.
- They are sleeping.Options: Ils dorment. · Ils sont dorment. · Ils sont dormir.
Show the answer
Ils dorment.
- I'm in the middle of working.Options: Je suis en train de travailler. · Je suis en train travailler. · Je suis travaillant.
Show the answer
Je suis en train de travailler.
- Nous _____ la télé. (regarder)
Show the answer
regardons
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.