Present tense
One Italian present tense covers both I speak and I am speaking.
Italian has a single present tense where English has two: parlo means both I speak and I am speaking. Context, not grammar, tells you which.
You form it by removing -are, -ere or -ire from the infinitive and adding the endings of that verb family. Each family has its own set, covered in the topics on -are, -ere and -ire verbs.
The present tense is also used for the near future, especially with a time expression: Domani parto per Roma (Tomorrow I leave for Rome). For actions happening right now you may also hear sto parlando (the present continuous with stare), but the simple present is never wrong for a beginner.
Many everyday verbs are irregular in the present — essere, avere, fare, andare, potere, volere — and are worth memorising as separate blocks.
Examples
- Parlo italiano. I speak Italian. / I am speaking Italian.
- Che cosa fai adesso? What are you doing now?
- Domani partiamo presto. Tomorrow we leave early.
- Lei lavora in banca. She works in a bank.
Common mistake
Translating I am speaking word by word as io sono parlare — essere + infinitive does not exist in Italian. Use the simple present: parlo, or the continuous sto parlando.