Italian Grammar Bank
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE IN ITALIAN
The present progressive is one of the most used tenses in the Italian language, and it’s fairly simple to use, too.
We teach you how to form and use it in this guide with plenty of examples.
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
The present progressive in Italian is composed of two parts:
- The verb “stare” (to be located, to stay) in the present simple tense (indicativo presente)
- The main verb in the simple gerund tense (gerundio presente, similar to the English “-ing” form)
PATTERN
Stare + Gerundio
So, first of all, let’s look at the conjugation of “stare” in the indicativo presente:
| Indicativo Presente – stare (TO BE located, to stay) |
|---|
| io sto |
| tu stai |
| lui sta |
| noi stiamo |
| voi state |
| loro stanno |
Now let’s look at how to form the gerundio presente:
| first conjugation | second conjugation | Third conjugation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| INFINITO PRESENTE | -are (mangiare, parlare) | -ere (tenere, cadere) | -ire (subire, dormire) |
| GERUNDIO PRESENTE | -ando (mangiando, parlando) | -endo (tenendo, cadendo) | -endo (subendo, dormendo) |
Some verbs are irregular. The most used ones are:
| INFINITO PRESENTE | GERUNDIO PRESENTE | TRANSLATION |
|---|---|---|
| Fare | Facendo | To do |
| Dire | Dicendo | To say |
| Bere | Bevendo | To drink |
| Porre | Ponendo | To put |
| Condurre | Conducendo | To conduct |
| Introdurre | Introducendo | To introduce |
| Tradurre | Traducendo | To translate |
Now, let’s put “stare” and the gerund form together to form the present progressive:
| 1st conjugation | 2nd conjugation | 3rd conjugation |
|---|---|---|
|
io sto mangiando
I am eating |
io sto leggendo
I am reading |
io sto dormendo
I am sleeping |
| tu stai mangiando | tu stai leggendo | tu stai dormendo |
| lui sta mangiando | lui sta leggendo | lui sta dormendo |
| noi stiamo mangiando | noi stiamo leggendo | noi stiamo dormendo |
| voi state mangiando | voi state leggendo | voi state dormendo |
| loro stanno mangiando | loro stanno leggendo | loro stanno dormendo |
MEANING & EXAMPLES
In Italian, the present progressive is used for:
- Actions in progress, that are taking place at the moment of speaking or have been taking place for a while and are still taking place.
| italian | english |
|---|---|
| L’aereo sta decollando. | The plane is taking off. |
| Sto guidando, ti chiamo dopo. | I’m driving, I’ll call you later. |
| Arrivo subito, sto uscendo di casa. | I’ll be right there, just leaving the house. |
View More Examples:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Non stanno ascoltando la lezione. | They’re not listening to the lesson. |
| Sta studiando da tre ore. | He has been studying for three hours. |
| Ultimamente sto dormendo poco. | I’ve been getting very little sleep lately. |
| Sara sta studiando giapponese all’università. | Sara is studying Japanese at the University. |
In many cases, you can use the present simple instead (for example: “Sara studia giapponese all’università”).
You have to use stare + gerundio if you want to focus on the fact that the action is taking place right now:
Sto guidando, non posso rispondere al telefono.
I’m driving, I can’t answer the phone.Non vedi che sto studiando? Spegni la tv!
Can’t you see I’m studying? Turn off the tv!Or that it’s been going on for a while:
Sto valutando le due opzioni..
I am considering the two options.Ci sto pensando da un po’ ma non sono ancora riuscito a decidere.
I’ve been thinking about it for a while but I still haven’t been able to decide.Notice that the Italian Present Progressive can’t be used to talk about actions that will take place in the future, but only for actions that are already happening.
This is different from the English Present Continuous:
| Non lavora la prossima settimana. | He isn’t working next week. |
| Parto domani. | I am leaving tomorrow. |
The Italian present progressive is a rather simple tense, but it’s very common in everyday language. Just practice the verb “stare” and you’ll be able to use it in no time!
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FAQs
What is the Italian Present Progressive?
The Italian Present Progressive is a tense formed by combining the present simple tense of the verb “stare” (to be located, to stay) with the gerund form of the main verb. In Italian, this construction is called “perifrastica”.
Is the Present Progressive commonly used?
Yes, the Italian Present Progressive is a common tense in everyday language, emphasizing the immediacy or continuity of actions.
When is the Italian Present Progressive used?
The present progressive is used for actions in progress, taking place at the moment of speaking or continuing for a while. It emphasizes the current or ongoing nature of the action.
Any irregular verbs in the present progressive?
Yes, some verbs are irregular in the present progressive. Examples include “fare” (to do), “dire” (to say), “bere” (to drink), and others.
How do I form the gerundio presente?
The gerundio presente is formed by adding “-ando” for first conjugation verbs (-are), “-endo” for second conjugation verbs (-ere), and “-endo” for third conjugation verbs (-ire).
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