Phrase guide

present participle

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A nonfinite verb form that indicates an ongoing action or state and which can function as an adjective.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pres. part., pres.part., p.pr.

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: participle, wordform, form

2

noun

Meaning 2

a participle expressing present action; in English is formed by adding -ing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: participle, participial

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: teenwoordige deelwoord — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Afrikaans: onvoltooide deelwoord — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Catalan: participi present — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Chinese Mandarin: 現在分詞 /现在分词 (xiànzài fēncí) — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Czech: příčestí přítomné — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Danish: præsens participium — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Danish: lang tillægsform — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Dutch: onvoltooid deelwoord — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Dutch: tegenwoordig deelwoord — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Faroese: nútíðar lýsingarháttur — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Finnish: partisiipin preesens — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • French: participe présent — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • German: Mittelwort der Gegenwart — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • German: Partizipium präsentis — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • German: Partizip Präsens — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • German: Partizip I — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Greek: μετοχή του ενεστώτα (metochí tou enestóta) — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Hungarian: folyamatos melléknévi igenév — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Icelandic: lýsingarháttur nútíðar — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Italian: participio presente — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Japanese: 現在分詞 (genzai bunshi) — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Latin: participium praesentis — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Norman: participe présent — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Polish: imiesłów czynny czasu teraźniejszego — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Portuguese: particípio presente — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Romanian: participiu prezent — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Russian: прича́стие настоя́щего вре́мени (pričástije nastojáščevo vrémeni) — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Spanish: participio presente — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Spanish: participio de presente — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Swedish: presensparticip — verb form that indicates an ongoing action
  • Welsh: rhangymeriad presennol — verb form that indicates an ongoing action