Tutorial
In Course: French A2: Everyday Foundations

French Present Progressive: Using 'être en train de'

Learn to describe ongoing actions in French using the 'être en train de' construction, perfect for talking about what you are doing right now.

A close-up, dynamic photograph of hands actively kneading dough on a rustic wooden counter in a sunlit French kitchen. Flour dusts the surface, capturing the continuous motion of preparing a traditional French pastry or bread.
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Deck Contents

18 Cards
Lesson#1
To say that you are in the middle of doing something right now, French uses a special construction: 'être en train de' followed by a verb in its infinitive form. It's the closest equivalent to the English present progressive, like 'I am doing'.
Lesson#2
The structure is simple: you conjugate the verb 'être' for the subject, then add 'en train de' and the action verb. For example, to say 'I am currently eating', you would say 'Je suis en train de manger'.
Quiz#3
Translate into French: 'I am currently working.'

Je suis en train de travailler.

Quiz#4
Translate into French: 'You are in the middle of studying.'

Tu es en train d'étudier.

Lesson#5
This construction works with all subjects. You just need to remember the present tense forms of 'être': je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont.
Quiz#6
Translate into French: 'He is currently cooking.'

Il est en train de cuisiner.

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