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Quick Grammar Reference
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>>Verbs > Progressive
The present progressive is a compound verb construction that is equivalent to to be -ing in English. The English phrase I'm hoping is a clear example of the present progressive.
To form the present progressive, you will use the verb estar to be with a present participle (seen in the chart below).
| -ar verbs (falar to speak) | -er verbs (vender to sell) | -ir verbs (partir to leave) | |
| -ando (falando) | -endo (vendendo) | -indo (partindo) |
All present participles are invariable.
Estar is conjugated in the present indicative as follows (see the subject pronouns for information on the words in the left-hand column):
| eu | estou |
| tu (Portugal only) | estás |
| ele, ela, você | está |
| nós | estamos |
| vós (archaic) | estais |
| eles, elas, vocês | estão |
Unlike the English to be -ing, the present progressive only represents actions taking place at the exact moment. Estou falando means I am talking (right now). Eles estão vendendo means they are selling (right now). Estamos partindo means we are leaving (right now). For this reason, the progressive is used less frequently in Portuguese than in English.