می‌ + Present Stem

The Ordinary Present

Level 2

می‌خوانم can mean I read or I am reading. A time phrase can also make an ordinary present form refer to a planned future event.

How It Works

Build a real form. خواندن has present stem خوان. می‌ + خوان + ـم gives می‌خوانم. The prefix is written with a half-space before the stem, preserving one verb while showing its boundary.

هر روز کتاب می‌خوانم describes a habit: “I read books every day.” الان کتاب می‌خوانم can describe current reading. Tomorrow’s plan can also use the ordinary present: فردا به تهران می‌روم.

Context and the kind of verb matter. A form such as می‌نشینم may describe sitting down or a planned choice of seat, while نشسته‌ام describes the resulting seated state. Do not automatically translate every می‌ form as an English “am -ing” sentence.

Some common verbs follow a different ordinary-present pattern. دارم expresses “I have,” and هستم expresses “I am”; do not add می‌ to every verb merely because its English translation is present.

To emphasize an unfolding action, Persian can use داشتن plus a matching می‌ verb, as in دارم می‌خوانم. That is a separate construction built from this one.

Examples (4)

  1. هر روز کتاب می‌خوانم.

    I read books every day.

    هر روز makes the habitual reading clear.

  2. الان کتاب می‌خوانم.

    I am reading a book now.

    الان supplies current-action context.

  3. فردا به تهران می‌روم.

    I am going to Tehran tomorrow.

    فردا gives future reference to the ordinary present form.

  4. سارا چای می‌نوشد.

    Sara drinks tea.

    The attested present stem نوش combines with third-singular -ad.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

می‌ + Present StemLevel 2The Ordinary Present

Learn This First

Use می‌ plus the actual present stem and person ending, then read habit, current action or future reference from context.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.