The present progressive tense, also known as the present continuous, describes actions happening at the moment of speaking. It's the equivalent of the English -ing form.
Sto guardando un film in TV.
I am watching a movie on TV.
Fuori sta piovendo.
It is raining outside.
The present progressive is created by combining the present tense of the verb stare with the verb in a special form called the gerundio (gerund).
| Pronoun | Form of Stare | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Io | sto | I am |
| Tu | stai | You are (informal) |
| Lui/Lei | sta | He/She is |
| Noi | stiamo | We are |
| Voi | state | You all are |
| Loro | stanno | They are |
To form the gerundio, you need to change the verb endings as follows:
-are verbs become -ando:
| Infinitive | Gerundio | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Giocare | giocando | Play playing |
| Mangiare | mangiando | Eat eating |
| Camminare | camminando | Walk walking |
-ere verbs become -endo:
| Infinitive | Gerundio | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Piovere | piovendo | Rain raining |
| Leggere | leggendo | Read reading |
| Scrivere | scrivendo | Write writing |
-ire verbs become -indo:
| Infinitive | Gerundio | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Finire | finendo | Finish finishing |
| Dormire | dormendo | Sleep sleeping |
| Sentire | sentendo | Hear hearing |
Now, putting everything together, we get:
| Pronoun | Present Progressive Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Io | sto mangiando | I am eating |
| Tu | stai mangiando | You are eating |
| Lui/Lei | sta mangiando | He/She is eating |
| Noi | stiamo mangiando | We are eating |
| Voi | state mangiando | You all are eating |
| Loro | stanno mangiando | They are eating |
Sto andando a casa.
I am going home.
I bambini stanno giocando nel parco.
The children are playing in the park.
Agata sta nuotando nel mare.
Agata is swimming in the sea.
Lui sta mangiando un panino.
He is eating a sandwich.
Sto studiando per l'esame.
I am studying for the exam.
Mio nonno sta leggendo il giornale.
My grandfather is reading the newspaper.
To make a negative sentence in the present progressive, place non in front of the verb stare:
Fuori non sta piovendo, c’è il sole.
It is not raining outside; the sun is shining.
Non sto guardando la TV, sto leggendo.
I am not watching TV, I am reading.
Non mi sto divertendo a questa festa.
I am not enjoying this party.
Non sto capendo cosa dice il professore.
I don’t understand what the professor is saying.
Reflexive verbs can also form the present progressive. However, be aware that the reflexive pronoun (mi, ti, si, etc.) can be placed either before the verb stare or attached to the gerundio. The first option is much more common, while the second is rarely used.
Io mi sto lavando i denti. / Sto lavandomi i denti.
I am brushing my teeth.
Mi sto preparando per uscire.
I am getting ready to go out.
Si sta pettinando i capelli.
He/She is combing his/her hair.
There are only a few irregular verbs when forming the gerundio. These include fare (to do/make), dire (to say), and bere (to drink). Here's how they change:
Mio figlio sta facendo i compiti.
My son is doing his homework.
Che cosa stai facendo?
What are you doing?
Non capisco cosa stai dicendo.
I don’t understand what you are saying.
Ti sto dicendo la verità.
I am telling you the truth.
Lei sta bevendo un bicchiere d’acqua.
She is drinking a glass of water.
Sto bevendo qualcosa con i miei amici.
I am drinking something with my friends.
The gerundio can also be used without the verb stare, though this construction is less common. When used this way, it often conveys the idea of by doing or while doing.
Sbagliando si impara.
One learns by making mistakes.
Crescendo ho imparato a prendermi le mie responsabilità.
Growing up, I learned to take responsibility for myself.
Parlando in un’altra lingua si commettono errori.
When speaking in another language, mistakes are made.
Mi sono addormentata guardando un film.
I fell asleep while watching a movie.
Si dimagrisce facendo sport.
One loses weight by doing sports.
Vedendola, sono corsa ad abbracciarla.
Seeing her, I ran to hug her.
Una lingua si impara parlandola.
One learns a language by speaking it.
