The present progressive in Italian: “Stare” + Gerund
How to talk about what you're doing right now in Italian
Let’s talk about one of the most useful, real-life tenses in Italian: the present progressive, also known as the "stare + gerund" form. If you've ever wanted to say “I’m eating,” “She’s studying,” or “We’re traveling” in Italian, this is the tense you need.
Good news: it’s easy, it’s logical, and Italians use it all the time. Let's dive in.
What is the present progressive?
In English, we form the present progressive with “to be” + a verb ending in -ing:
I am eating, you are studying, we are learning.
In Italian, we use the verb stare (to stay, to be) + the gerundio (the gerund form of the main verb).
Let’s look at a basic example:
Sto mangiando → I am eating
Stai parlando → You are talking
Sta dormendo → He/She is sleeping
Stiamo studiando → We are studying
State lavorando → You all are working
Stanno viaggiando → They are traveling
See the pattern? It’s pretty regular. Just conjugate stare in the present tense, and attach the gerund form of the verb.
How to form the gerund
Okay, quick pit stop: how do we make that gerund form?
For -ARE verbs: drop the -ARE and add -ando
parlare → parlando (talking)
lavorare → lavorando (working)
For -ERE and -IRE verbs: drop the ending and add -endo
leggere → leggendo (reading)
dormire → dormendo (sleeping)
Done. Easy peasy.
When do Italians use it?
The present progressive is used when something is happening right now, as in the exact moment you're speaking.
Sto guardando un film. → I’m watching a movie (right now, as we speak).
Stiamo cucinando la cena. → We’re cooking dinner (this moment).
This is not the same as the simple present in Italian, which can also express actions happening in the moment or general habits. Compare:
Guardo un film. → I watch a movie. (Could mean now or as a habit.)
Sto guardando un film. → I’m watching a movie right now.
Do Italians always use this form?
Not always. In fact, Italians often use the simple present (presente semplice) where English speakers might naturally use the progressive.
For example:
Cosa fai? → What are you doing?
Grammatically, this is the simple present, but it still means "What are you doing (right now)?" Context is everything in Italian.
However, if you really want to emphasize that something is happening in this exact moment, the stare + gerundio is perfect:
Cosa stai facendo adesso? → What are you doing right now?
Real-life examples
Let’s bring it to life with a few mini-dialogues and sentences:
Luca, stai dormendo?! → Luca, are you sleeping?!
Sì, ma mi sto svegliando adesso. → Yes, but I’m waking up now.
Stiamo aspettando il treno. → We’re waiting for the train.
I bambini stanno giocando nel parco. → The kids are playing in the park.
Scusa, sto parlando al telefono. → Sorry, I’m talking on the phone.
Want to sound natural in conversation? Drop a “sto + gerundio” into your small talk and you’re golden.
Practice time!
Try translating these into Italian using the present progressive:
I am studying Italian.
We are eating gelato.
They are reading a book.
Are you watching TV?
She is writing an email.
(Answers at the bottom!)
Wrap-up
The present progressive in Italian is:
Built with stare + gerundio
Used for actions happening right now
A super useful and natural-sounding tense to know
The best way to get the hang of it? Start using it. Even simple sentences like "Sto imparando l’italiano!" (“I’m learning Italian!”) will help you sound more fluent and feel more confident.
Answers:
Sto studiando italiano.
Stiamo mangiando il gelato.
Stanno leggendo un libro.
Stai guardando la TV?
Sta scrivendo un’email.
Got questions? Hit reply or leave a comment. I'm always happy to help you untangle Italian grammar.
Alla prossima! ✍️