The Historical Present

Level 6

The historical present uses present-tense verbs for past events: Včera idem po ulici a zrazu vidím Petra. The word včera makes it clear that it happened yesterday.

How It Works

Present tense for the past. Normally past events are told in the past tense: Včera som išiel po ulici a zrazu som uvidel Petra. A storyteller can switch to the present to make the scene feel immediate: Včera idem po ulici a zrazu vidím Petra. Slovak calls this the historický prézens or historický prézent. The listener knows it is past because of the context and words like včera, minulý týždeň or a year.

Where you meet it.

  • Spoken anecdotes: Minulý týždeň mi volá šéf a hovorí… (Last week my boss calls me and says…)
  • Literature: a story in the past tense suddenly switches to the present at an exciting moment, as in Zrazu sa dvere otvárajú.
  • History writing, timelines and captions: V roku 1993 vzniká samostatná Slovenská republika.

Aspect in the historical present. The present form of an imperfective verb describes the ongoing scene: idem, sedím, čítam. In lively narration, a sudden single event can be told with the present form of a perfective verb, as in Sedím v autobuse a vtom mi niekto zaklope na plece. Outside a story, the same perfective form points to the future (see perfective verbs for the future), so the storytelling context is what makes it past.

Keep it consistent. Choose one tense for a stretch of the story. Switching back and forth in every clause is hard to follow. Never use the future forms budem or pôjdem for this: they always refer to the future.

Examples (5)

  1. Včera idem po ulici a zrazu vidím Petra.

    Yesterday I was walking down the street and suddenly I saw Peter.

    Word by Word: Yesterday I-go along street and suddenly I-see Peter.

    Present-tense verbs, past meaning shown by včera.

  2. Minulý týždeň mi volá šéf a hovorí: „Príď zajtra skôr.“

    Last week my boss called me and said, "Come in earlier tomorrow."

    Word by Word: Last week me calls boss and says: "Come tomorrow earlier."

  3. Sedím v autobuse a vtom mi niekto zaklope na plece.

    I was sitting on the bus when suddenly someone tapped me on the shoulder.

    Word by Word: I-sit in bus and at-that me someone taps on shoulder.

    Sedím sets the scene; the perfective zaklope is a sudden single event.

  4. V roku 1993 vzniká samostatná Slovenská republika.

    In 1993 the independent Slovak Republic came into being.

    Word by Word: In year 1993 arises independent Slovak republic.

    Typical of history writing and timelines.

  5. Sedeli sme pri stole a večerali. Zrazu sa dvere naširoko otvárajú.

    We were sitting at the table having dinner. Suddenly the door flew wide open.

    Word by Word: We-sat at table and dined. Suddenly itself door wide opens.

    The story switches from the past tense to the present at the dramatic moment.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the future tense instead of the present for a past event.

    Včera pôjdem po ulici a zrazu vidím Petra.
    Včera idem po ulici a zrazu vidím Petra.

    Pôjdem always means "I will go". The historical present uses the ordinary present form idem.

  • Using a perfective verb for an ongoing background action.

    Včera prídem po ulici a zrazu vidím Petra.
    Včera idem po ulici a zrazu vidím Petra.

    The walk is the ongoing background of the scene, so it needs the imperfective present idem. Prídem presents a single completed arrival, so it cannot set the scene for what happens during the walk.

  • Adding the past-tense word som to a present-tense verb.

    Včera som idem po ulici a zrazu som vidím Petra.
    Včera idem po ulici a zrazu vidím Petra.

    Som belongs only to the past tense: išiel som, videl som. The historical present uses plain present forms like idem and vidím, with no som.

How It Connects

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

The Historical PresentLevel 6

Learn This First

Before The Historical Present, learn Imperfective and Perfective Aspect. Stories told in the present use imperfective forms like idem for background and perfective forms like zaklope for sudden events.