In French, Le Présent Indicatif (je fais, tu manges...) is used to express both the English Present tense (I do, you eat...) and the English Continuous Present tense (I am doing, you are eating...).
Indeed, there is no equivalent French tense for the English Continuous Present (I am doing, you are eating...).
Now look at these sentences:
Où est Lucie ? - Elle est en train de faire ses devoirs dans sa chambre.Where is Lucie? - She is doing her homework in her room.
Je ne peux pas répondre, je suis en train de prendre ma douche !I can't answer, I'm having my shower!
Note that in French, when you want to put the emphasis on the progression of the action, you can use the following expression:
être in Le Présent Indicatif + en train de + [infinitive]
It literally means "to be in the process of [doing]".
être in Le Présent Indicatif + en train de + [infinitive]
It literally means "to be in the process of [doing]".
Also see Expressing ongoing actions in the past in French: être en train de
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Braimap today »
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Où est Lucie ? - Elle est en train de faire ses devoirs dans sa chambre.Where is Lucie? - She is doing her homework in her room.
Je ne peux pas répondre, je suis en train de prendre ma douche !I can't answer, I'm having my shower!
Nous sommes en train de décorer la chambre du bébé en ce moment-même.We are decorating the baby's room as we speak.
