The present tense

A verb's dictionary form, the infinitive, ends in -ar, -er or -ir: hablar "to speak", comer "to eat", vivir "to live". Take the ending off and add one for each person.

-er and -ir verbs share every ending except "we" and "you all": comemos, vivimos; coméis, vivís. The "I" form of nearly every verb ends in -o; the exceptions are soy, estoy, voy, doy, sé and he.

One tense, several meanings

The present covers "I speak", "I'm speaking" and "I do speak", and often the near future, as English "I'm leaving tomorrow" does. It also makes offers.

• Trabajo en un banco.
  I work in a bank.
• ¿Qué haces? —Leo un libro.
  What are you doing? —I'm reading a book.
• Mañana salgo para Lima.
  I'm leaving for Lima tomorrow.
• ¿Te ayudo?
  Shall I help you?

For how long something has been going on, Spanish uses the present with desde hace or hace... que, where English says "have been":

• Vivo aquí desde hace dos años.
  I've been living here for two years.
• Hace una hora que espero.
  I've been waiting for an hour.

Happening right now: estar with -ando

To stress that something is happening right now, use estar with the verb's -ndo form: -ando for -ar verbs and -iendo for -er and -ir verbs.

• Estoy hablando por teléfono.
  I'm talking on the phone.
• ¿Qué estás haciendo?
  What are you doing?
• Los niños están durmiendo.
  The children are sleeping.

Spanish uses it less than English uses "-ing": not for plans (Mañana salgo, not estoy saliendo), and seldom with ir and venir.