The most important tense and most used by native speakers of Spanish is the present indicative. It is used in order to talk about actions that occur every day in our lives or actions going on during the current time. ”Present indicative” is similar to “present simple” in English, which is used to describe mainly habitual actions and routines.
The most versatile tense of all
The present indicative is considered one of the most versatile tenses in Spanish. For this reason it can be used in different contexts. What is more, it is not only linked to the present and future, but also to the past. Due to its versatility, this tense is highly used by native Spanish speakers.
Present: “Pedro vive en Brasil.” – “Peter lives in Brazil.”
Past: “Cristóbal Colón descubre América en 1492.” – “Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492.”
Future: “Tenemos una fiesta el próximo domingo.”- “We have a party tomorrow.”
Specific contexts to use Present Indicative
It is well-known that when students are beginners to Spanish, the first tense they usually learn is the present indicative. Another vital characteristic is that this tense is usually considered an unmarked one. That is to say, it can be used in a wide variety of situations, even in tenses that don’t belong to the present. Take into account these examples as follows:
Frequent actions: “Raramente como pescado.”
Descriptions: “Mi casa es grande.”
Actions at the moment of speaking: “¿Qué miras?”
Near future: “Mañana tengo una cita con Frank.”
Actions in the past: “La pandemia comienza el 2020.”
True facts: “La tierra gira alrededor del sol.”
Temporary situations: “Mi novio está en Cuzco esta semana.”
As you can see, the present indicative is very useful since you can express many ideas from the very beginning. However, its conjugation can be a bit challenging as it depends on whether the verb is regular or irregular. Now that you are into Spanish and would like to upgrade the use of Present Indicative, you could book your lessons at Bright Lingua. We offer the most interactive and communicative lessons that will enable you to learn Spanish meaningfully.