⏰ Present Tense

The present tense is one of the most common verb tenses in English. We use it for everyday routines, facts, habits, schedules, opinions, and things that are true in general. Learning when to use it will help you speak and write naturally. Each English phrase includes translations in several languages.

🟢 When to Use the Present Tense

☀️ Daily Routines
things you do regularly
I make coffee before work.
She catches the train at 8:00.
We eat dinner together every evening.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Hago café antes del trabajo. / Ella toma el tren a las 8:00. / Cenamos juntos todas las noches.
🇫🇷 French: Je prépare du café avant le travail. / Elle prend le train à 8 h. / Nous dînons ensemble tous les soirs.
🇩🇪 German: Ich mache vor der Arbeit Kaffee. / Sie nimmt den Zug um 8:00. / Wir essen jeden Abend zusammen zu Abend.
🇮🇹 Italian: Preparo il caffè prima del lavoro. / Lei prende il treno alle 8:00. / Ceniamo insieme ogni sera.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Faço café antes do trabalho. / Ela pega o trem às 8:00. / Jantamos juntos todas as noites.
🔁 Habits
actions that happen again and again
He visits his grandparents every Sunday.
They play chess after school.
I always carry a notebook.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Él visita a sus abuelos todos los domingos. / Ellos juegan al ajedrez después de la escuela. / Siempre llevo un cuaderno.
🇫🇷 French: Il rend visite à ses grands-parents tous les dimanches. / Ils jouent aux échecs après l'école. / Je porte toujours un carnet.
🇩🇪 German: Er besucht seine Großeltern jeden Sonntag. / Sie spielen nach der Schule Schach. / Ich trage immer ein Notizbuch bei mir.
🇮🇹 Italian: Lui visita i nonni ogni domenica. / Loro giocano a scacchi dopo scuola. / Porto sempre un taccuino.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Ele visita os avós todos os domingos. / Eles jogam xadrez depois da escola. / Eu sempre carrego um caderno.
🌍 Facts and General Truths
things that are generally true
Water freezes at 0°C.
Birds build nests.
The Earth travels around the Sun.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: El agua se congela a 0°C. / Los pájaros construyen nidos. / La Tierra gira alrededor del Sol.
🇫🇷 French: L'eau gèle à 0°C. / Les oiseaux construisent des nids. / La Terre tourne autour du Soleil.
🇩🇪 German: Wasser gefriert bei 0°C. / Vögel bauen Nester. / Die Erde kreist um die Sonne.
🇮🇹 Italian: L'acqua congela a 0°C. / Gli uccelli costruiscono nidi. / La Terra gira intorno al Sole.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A água congela a 0°C. / Os pássaros constroem ninhos. / A Terra gira ao redor do Sol.
📅 Schedules and Timetables
fixed times that do not change often
The museum opens at ten.
My class starts on Monday.
The ferry leaves every hour.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: El museo abre a las diez. / Mi clase empieza el lunes. / El ferry sale cada hora.
🇫🇷 French: Le musée ouvre à dix heures. / Mon cours commence lundi. / Le ferry part toutes les heures.
🇩🇪 German: Das Museum öffnet um zehn. / Mein Unterricht beginnt am Montag. / Die Fähre fährt stündlich ab.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il museo apre alle dieci. / La mia lezione inizia lunedì. / Il traghetto parte ogni ora.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O museu abre às dez. / Minha aula começa na segunda-feira. / A balsa sai de hora em hora.

🧠 Useful Grammar

Third person singular
Most verbs add -s when the subject is he, she, or it.

I walk.
You walk.
She walks.
He drives.
It rains.
Common time words
always · usually · often · sometimes · rarely · never
every day · every weekend · on Fridays
Present simple vs. present continuous
I write emails every morning.
a habit

I am writing an email now.
happening right now

⚠️ Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ She work late.
She works late.
add -s after he / she / it
❌ They goes home.
They go home.
they uses the base verb
❌ I am know the answer.
I know the answer.
do not use am with this verb in the simple present
❌ He don't drive.
He doesn't drive.
use doesn't with he / she / it

❓ Useful Questions

What do you usually drink in the morning?
usually points to a habit
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Qué sueles beber por la mañana?
🇫🇷 French: Que buvez-vous habituellement le matin ?
🇩🇪 German: Was trinken Sie normalerweise morgens?
🇮🇹 Italian: Cosa bevi di solito al mattino?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O que você costuma beber de manhã?
🏡 Where do you live?
a general fact about you now
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Dónde vives?
🇫🇷 French: Où habitez-vous ?
🇩🇪 German: Wo wohnen Sie?
🇮🇹 Italian: Dove vivi?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Onde você mora?
🎯 What hobbies do you enjoy?
asks about regular free-time activities
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Qué pasatiempos disfrutas?
🇫🇷 French: Quels loisirs aimez-vous ?
🇩🇪 German: Welche Hobbys haben Sie?
🇮🇹 Italian: Quali hobby ti piacciono?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quais hobbies você gosta?
🚗 How do you get to work?
asks about a regular routine
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Cómo vas al trabajo?
🇫🇷 French: Comment allez-vous au travail ?
🇩🇪 German: Wie kommen Sie zur Arbeit?
🇮🇹 Italian: Come vai al lavoro?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Como você vai para o trabalho?

💬 Everyday Conversation

Morning routine
present tense for daily habits
A: What time do you usually wake up?
B: I get up around six-thirty.
A: Do you eat breakfast at home?
B: Yes. I usually make toast and coffee before I leave.
A: How do you get to work?
B: I take the train most days.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿A qué hora sueles despertarte?
🇪🇸 B: Me levanto alrededor de las seis y media.
🇪🇸 A: ¿Desayunas en casa?
🇪🇸 B: Sí. Normalmente hago tostadas y café antes de salir.
🇪🇸 A: ¿Cómo vas al trabajo?
🇪🇸 B: Tomo el tren la mayoría de los días.

🇫🇷 A: À quelle heure vous réveillez-vous habituellement ?
🇫🇷 B: Je me lève vers six heures et demie.
🇫🇷 A: Prenez-vous le petit-déjeuner à la maison ?
🇫🇷 B: Oui. Je prépare généralement des toasts et du café avant de partir.
🇫🇷 A: Comment allez-vous au travail ?
🇫🇷 B: Je prends le train la plupart des jours.

🇩🇪 A: Wann wachen Sie normalerweise auf?
🇩🇪 B: Ich stehe gegen halb sieben auf.
🇩🇪 A: Frühstücken Sie zu Hause?
🇩🇪 B: Ja. Ich mache normalerweise Toast und Kaffee, bevor ich gehe.
🇩🇪 A: Wie kommen Sie zur Arbeit?
🇩🇪 B: Ich nehme die meiste Zeit den Zug.

🇮🇹 A: A che ora ti svegli di solito?
🇮🇹 B: Mi alzo verso le sei e mezza.
🇮🇹 A: Fai colazione a casa?
🇮🇹 B: Sì. Di solito preparo toast e caffè prima di uscire.
🇮🇹 A: Come vai al lavoro?
🇮🇹 B: Prendo il treno quasi tutti i giorni.

🇵🇹 A: A que horas você costuma acordar?
🇵🇹 B: Eu acordo por volta das seis e meia.
🇵🇹 A: Você toma café da manhã em casa?
🇵🇹 B: Sim. Eu geralmente faço torrada e café antes de sair.
🇵🇹 A: Como você vai para o trabalho?
🇵🇹 B: Eu pego o trem na maioria dos dias.

📝 Example Sentences

🌻 Sunflowers grow quickly in warm weather.
a general fact
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Los girasoles crecen rápidamente con el clima cálido.
🇫🇷 French: Les tournesols poussent rapidement par temps chaud.
🇩🇪 German: Sonnenblumen wachsen bei warmem Wetter schnell.
🇮🇹 Italian: I girasoli crescono rapidamente con il clima caldo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Os girassóis crescem rapidamente no tempo quente.
📦 Our mail carrier delivers packages before noon.
a regular routine
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Nuestro cartero entrega paquetes antes del mediodía.
🇫🇷 French: Notre facteur livre les colis avant midi.
🇩🇪 German: Unser Briefträger liefert Pakete vor Mittag aus.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il nostro postino consegna i pacchi prima di mezzogiorno.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nosso carteiro entrega pacotes antes do meio-dia.
🧩 Emma solves crossword puzzles every weekend.
a habit
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Emma resuelve crucigramas todos los fines de semana.
🇫🇷 French: Emma résout des mots croisés tous les week-ends.
🇩🇪 German: Emma löst jedes Wochenende Kreuzworträtsel.
🇮🇹 Italian: Emma risolve cruciverba ogni fine settimana.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Emma resolve palavras cruzadas todos os fins de semana.
🚲 The bike shop opens at nine o'clock.
a fixed schedule
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: La tienda de bicicletas abre a las nueve.
🇫🇷 French: Le magasin de vélos ouvre à neuf heures.
🇩🇪 German: Der Fahrradladen öffnet um neun Uhr.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il negozio di bici apre alle nove.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A loja de bicicletas abre às nove horas.
🍜 My neighbors cook homemade noodles on Sundays.
a repeated activity
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Mis vecinos cocinan fideos caseros los domingos.
🇫🇷 French: Mes voisins préparent des nouilles maison le dimanche.
🇩🇪 German: Meine Nachbarn kochen sonntags hausgemachte Nudeln.
🇮🇹 Italian: I miei vicini cucinano noodle fatti in casa la domenica.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Meus vizinhos cozinham macarrão caseiro aos domingos.
🌧️ Heavy rain sometimes causes flooding.
a general truth
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: La lluvia intensa a veces causa inundaciones.
🇫🇷 French: La pluie forte cause parfois des inondations.
🇩🇪 German: Starker Regen verursacht manchmal Überschwemmungen.
🇮🇹 Italian: La pioggia intensa a volte causa allagamenti.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A chuva forte às vezes causa inundações.
Mostly good. Q8 was the weak one: two other options were also correct present-tense sentences. Use this version.

🏆 Final Practice

English in the Real World:

Read the situation. Choose the present-tense form that fits.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%