So you wanna speak French, well listen up. The most important tense and mood in French is the present indicative. This is the present tense in which you talk most often in.
These statements are statements that are always 100% true, no matter what.
Le soleil se lève à l’Est. - The sun rises in the east.
Deux et deux font quatre. -Two and two make four.
Mon chapeau est gris. - My hat is gray.
Les éléphantes sont lourds - Elephants are heavy.
These are facts and cannot be disputed. If anyone said anything different, you would honestly be confused by their existence. All facts are in the present indicative because the facts persist to be true at the current moment and are pointed out (indicated) by the speaker.
This condition describes things that are happening right now, as well as events that were happening and are still happening (like the fact you’ve been waiting for 50 minutes to get some fries or you’ve been working at you job for 1 year now - Congrats).
Je veux un bonbon - I want a sweet.
Il marche au travail - He walks to work.
Nous mettons nos manteaux - We put on our coats.
Vous travaillez depuis trois ans. - You have been working here for three years.
Elles mangent leur repas depuis 10h. - They have been eating their meal since 10 a.m.
Above are examples of things going on in the present time and things that have been going on from past to present. Notice in the last three examples, the French is in the present but the English is in the past. That’s all because of the word “depuis” which means for or since. The word “for” relates to a duration of time while “since” means something is ongoing from a certain point.
Habits are conducted in the present indicative in French (or else it wouldn't be in this post). Whether it’s smoking a cigarette every hour on the hour or going to eat breakfast at a café every morning, it’s conducted in the present.
Je mange de la pizza tous les vendredi. - I eat pizza every Friday.
Nous allons faire du shopping tous les deux semaines. - We go shopping every two weeks.
Elle joue de la violon tous les jours. - She plays the violin every day.
The bolded parts show the frequency of the habit, all conducted in the present because think about it. If it happens every X amount of times, it’s so persistent and regularly occurring, thus it’s always present.
In the not too distant future, the verb “aller - to go” is used to describe it. Although in future, it’s going to happen so soon it might as well be happening now. (Like when you say I’m going to wash the dishes and take out the trash, it’s gona happen Mom).
Il va sortir. - He’s going to go out.
Nous allons regarder ce film. - We are going to watch this film.
Ils vont faire la vaisselle. - They are going to wash the dishes.
Going is in the present, but implies something will be done soon
Hear ye, hear ye. This tense uses present verbs to show that something is occurring right now, but in the past almost as if you’re there watching history unfold. It’s like a documentary, the commentary is in the present tense - but the events being described have already happened.
Le Vésuve éclate prés de Pompéi. - Vesuvius erupts near Pompeii.
That’s all the info on the present indicative, next we’re gonna learn how to conjugate. And sorry about this late posting, my internet is being complicated. Anyways happy learning!
