Russian present tense.

How the present tense works

You take an imperfective verb, drop the infinitive ending, and add a present-tense ending for each person. The same form serves the simple and the continuous: Я работаю is both "I work" and "I am working."

Perfective verbs have no present tense, because a completed action cannot be in progress now. So the present is purely imperfective territory.

The two conjugation classes

Almost every verb follows one of two patterns. The difference shows up in the vowel of the endings:

• Class I (1st conjugation): -ю/-у, -ешь, -ет, -ем, -ете, -ют/-ут. Most verbs in -ать and -ять.
• Class II (2nd conjugation): -ю/-у, -ишь, -ит, -им, -ите, -ят/-ат. Most verbs in -ить.

Present tense endings

Here are both classes side by side, with a sample verb each.

The я-form and mutations

The first-person singular (я) form is the one to learn carefully, because consonant mutations happen there. After the я-form, the rest of the verb is regular.

• писать → пишу (с → ш)
• любить → люблю (an л is inserted after the б)
• видеть → вижу (д → ж)

These mutations are consistent: once you learn the pattern for one verb, it applies to others with the same final consonant.

Common pitfalls

• Trying to put a perfective verb in the present. прочитаю looks like a present form but means "I will read it" - it is future. Only imperfective verbs have a real present.
• Guessing the conjugation class from the infinitive. Most -ить verbs are Class II and most -ать verbs are Class I, but there are exceptions. When unsure, learn the я and ты forms together.
• Forgetting the я-form mutation. "Я любю" is wrong; it is "Я люблю." The mutation only affects the я-form, which is exactly why it is easy to forget.