Progressive form of Italian present

In Italian, the gerundio (gerund) is used similarly to the "-ing" form in English, mainly to describe actions happening right now. It’s typically constructed by combining the verb “stare” (to be) with the gerundio form of a verb.

How to Form the Gerundio

For regular verbs, the rules are straightforward:

• Verbs ending in -ARE: Drop the “-are” and add -ando.
  • Parlare (to talk) → Sto parlando (I am talking)
• Verbs ending in -ERE: Drop the “-ere” and add -endo.
  • Leggere (to read) → Sto leggendo (I am reading)
• Verbs ending in -IRE: Drop the “-ire” and add -endo.
  • Dormire (to sleep) → Sto dormendo (I am sleeping)

Common Irregular Verbs in the Gerundio

Some Italian verbs are irregular and don’t follow the typical rules. Let’s look at the most common exceptions:

1. Fare (to do/make) → Sto facendo (I am doing/making)
   • Instead of “facendo,” “fare” follows an irregular pattern, as it comes from Latin roots.
2. Dire (to say) → Sto dicendo (I am saying)
   • “Dire” uses dicendo, not “direndo.”
3. Bere (to drink) → Sto bevendo (I am drinking)
   • “Bere” forms bevendo, not “berendo.”
4. Porre (to place/put) → Sto ponendo (I am placing)
   • Another irregular verb, ponendo is used instead of “porrendo.”
5. Tradurre (to translate) → Sto traducendo (I am translating)
   • Similar to “porre,” “tradurre” uses traducendo.
6. Udire (to hear) → Sto udendo (I am hearing)
   • Irregular form udendo, not “udendo.”

Key Points to Remember

• The “sto + -ing” form is used for actions that are happening right now.
• Some verbs follow regular patterns (-ando, -endo), while others are irregular and need to be memorized.
• Unlike English, not all “ing” forms in English translate directly to the gerundio. For example, “I like swimming” in Italian would be Mi piace nuotare (I like to swim), not Mi piace sto nuotando.

Here’s a table of the verb “stare” in its various forms to help visually recap the conjugation, especially as used in the gerundio (progressive tense).

Conjugation of “Stare” (To Stay/To Be)

Tense

Stare Conjugation

Example with Gerundio

Present (Presente)

io

sto

Sto mangiando (I am eating)

tu

stai

Stai parlando (You are talking)

lui/lei

sta

Sta dormendo (He/She is sleeping)

noi

stiamo

Stiamo leggendo (We are reading)

voi

state

State guardando (You all are watching)

loro

stanno

Stanno bevendo (They are drinking)

Exercises to Practice the Gerundio PRESENTE

Exercise 1: Regular Verbs

Complete the sentences with the correct gerundio form:

1. Io _________ (mangiare) una pizza.
   (I am eating a pizza.)
2. Loro _________ (leggere) un libro interessante.
   (They are reading an interesting book.)
3. Noi _________ (dormire) dopo il lungo viaggio.
   (We are sleeping after the long trip.)

Exercise 2: Irregular Verbs

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the irregular verbs:

1. Lei _________ (fare) i compiti.
   (She is doing her homework.)
2. Tu _________ (dire) la verità.
   (You are telling the truth.)
3. Io _________ (bere) il tè.
   (I am drinking tea.)
4. Loro _________ (tradurre) un documento.
   (They are translating a document.)

Exercise 3: Create Your Own Sentences

Write your own sentences using the gerundio with stare. Try both regular and irregular verbs. For example:

• Sto studiando per l’esame. (I am studying for the exam.)
• Stiamo guardando un film. (We are watching a movie.)

Exercise 4: Match the Infinitive to the Gerundio

Match the infinitive verb to its gerundio form:

1. Leggere
   a. Facendo
   b. Leggendo
   c. Traducendo
2. Fare
   a. Dicendo
   b. Ponendo
   c. Facendo
3. Bere
   a. Bevendo
   b. Udiendo
   c. Ponendo

Exercise 5: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct gerundio form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. Lei _________ (mangiare) una mela.
   (She is eating an apple.)
2. Noi _________ (leggere) il giornale.
   (We are reading the newspaper.)
3. Voi _________ (fare) una torta per la festa.
   (You all are making a cake for the party.)
4. Loro _________ (scrivere) una lettera.
   (They are writing a letter.)
5. Io _________ (bere) dell’acqua.
   (I am drinking some water.)
6. Tu _________ (dormire) durante il film.
   (You are sleeping during the movie.)

Exercise 6: Convert Sentences to the Present Progressive

Rewrite the following sentences using the stare + gerundio form.

1. Lei parla con suo fratello.
   (She talks to her brother.)
2. Noi prepariamo la cena.
   (We prepare dinner.)
3. Loro guardano la TV.
   (They watch TV.)
4. Io leggo un libro interessante.
   (I read an interesting book.)
5. Voi correte al parco.
   (You all run in the park.)

Exercise 7: Regular vs. Irregular Verbs

Indicate whether the following verbs take a regular or irregular gerundio form. Write R for regular and I for irregular.

1. Bere
2. Dormire
3. Dire
4. Mangiare
5. Fare
6. Venire
7. Scrivere
8. Parlare

Exercise 8: Gerundio vs. Infinitive

In some cases, the gerundio doesn’t directly translate to English “-ing.” Instead, the infinitive is used. Match the English sentence to the correct Italian sentence.

1. I like eating pizza
   a. Mi piace sto mangiando pizza
   b. Mi piace mangiare la pizza
2. We are studying for the exam
   a. Stiamo studiando per l’esame
   b. Studiamo per l’esame
3. They enjoy running in the morning
   a. Loro stanno correndo la mattina
   b. A loro piace correre la mattina

Mastering the Presente Progressivo in Italian!

Presente Progressivo Overview

The presente progressivo (present progressive) is used to talk about actions that are happening right now. It’s equivalent to the English “am/are/is + -ing” form.

Formation:

The presente progressivo is formed by using the verb “stare” in the presente tense followed by the gerundio (the -ing form in Italian).

Stare (Presente) + Gerundio

Pronoun

Stare (Presente)

Gerundio Example (Leggere)

Io

sto

leggendo

Tu

stai

leggendo

Lui/Lei

sta

leggendo

Noi

stiamo

leggendo

Voi

state

leggendo

Loro

stanno

leggendo

Example Sentences:

1. Io sto leggendo un libro interessante.
   (I am reading an interesting book.)
2. Stiamo studiando per l’esame.
   (We are studying for the exam.)
3. Lei sta cucinando la cena adesso.
   (She is cooking dinner right now.)
4. Tu stai guardando la TV?
   (Are you watching TV?)
5. Loro stanno giocando a calcio.
   (They are playing soccer.)

Exercise 1: Complete the Sentence (Action in Progress!)

Complete the sentences with the correct form of stare in the presente and the gerundio of the verb in brackets.

1. Io __________ (scrivere) una mail importante in questo momento.
2. Tu __________ (leggere) il giornale?
3. Noi __________ (fare) la spesa.
4. Loro __________ (guardare) un film.
5. Lui __________ (ascoltare) la musica adesso.

Exercise 2: Translate into Italian (Immediate Action!)

Translate the following sentences into Italian using the presente progressivo.

1. I am cooking dinner right now.
2. They are studying for the test.
3. We are cleaning the house.
4. Are you (plural) working today?
5. She is writing an email at the moment.

Exercise 3: Which One is Present Progressive?

Identify which sentence uses the presente progressivo and explain why.

1. Mangio una pizza.
   (I eat a pizza.)
2. Sto mangiando una pizza.
   (I am eating a pizza.)
3. Gioco a tennis.
   (I play tennis.)
4. Sto giocando a tennis.
   (I am playing tennis.)

Exercise 4: Describe What’s Happening Right Now (Real-World Use!)

Look at the following situations and describe what’s happening in the presente progressivo.

1. Your friend Marco is talking on the phone.
   → Marco __________ (parlare) al telefono.
2. The children are playing in the garden.
   → I bambini __________ (giocare) in giardino.
3. You are drinking coffee at the café.
   → Io __________ (bere) un caffè al bar.
4. Your parents are watching TV.
   → I miei genitori __________ (guardare) la TV.

Exercise 5: Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Tense (Presente or Presente Progressivo?)

In the sentences below, fill in the blanks with the correct form of the presente or presente progressivo to show how Italians sometimes use these tenses.

1. Io __________ (andare) al lavoro ogni giorno, ma oggi __________ (lavorare) da casa.
2. Lui __________ (parlare) molto, ma adesso __________ (ascoltare).
3. Noi __________ (vedere) i nostri amici spesso, ma in questo momento __________ (studiare).
4. Loro __________ (fare) una passeggiata tutti i giorni, ma oggi __________ (fare) la spesa.
5. Voi __________ (giocare) a calcio regolarmente, ma oggi __________ (giocare) a tennis.

Answers

Exercise 1:

1. sto scrivendo
2. stai leggendo
3. stiamo facendo
4. stanno guardando
5. sta ascoltando

Exercise 2:

1. Sto cucinando la cena in questo momento.
2. Stanno studiando per l’esame.
3. Stiamo pulendo la casa.
4. State lavorando oggi?
5. Sta scrivendo una mail in questo momento.

Exercise 3:

• The correct presente progressivo sentences are:
  • 2. Sto mangiando una pizza. (I am eating a pizza right now.)
    4. Sto giocando a tennis. (I am playing tennis at this moment.)

Exercise 4:

1. Marco sta parlando al telefono.
2. I bambini stanno giocando in giardino.
3. Io sto bevendo un caffè al bar.
4. I miei genitori stanno guardando la TV.

Exercise 5:

1. Vado al lavoro ogni giorno, ma oggi sto lavorando da casa.
2. Lui parla molto, ma adesso sta ascoltando.
3. Noi vediamo i nostri amici spesso, ma in questo momento stiamo studiando.
4. Loro fanno una passeggiata tutti i giorni, ma oggi stanno facendo la spesa.
5. Voi giocate a calcio regolarmente, ma oggi state giocando a tennis.

Tips from BUILD YOUR BEST:

Remember: For habitual or general actions, the presente (not the progressive) is the go-to tense.