A tense use in many
languages to describe an action that, in reference to a fixed point in time, is being carried out and hasn't ended. Also known as the
progressive or
imperfect tense (as opposed to
perfect tense, to denote a completed action).
In English, it is commonly used for present tense. For example:
The cat is playing with the mouse
It is like drinking cleaning fluid with orange juice
It is occasionally used in the past tense to describe a process that occured earlier:
I was sleeping just before you woke me
Japan's economy was developing quickly in the 1960s
And it is even more rarely used for the future:
Next year I will be travelling to Panama
After the rain the sun will be shining
Most other languages use auxiliary verbs to indicate a progressive action. In Thai Yoo or kam lang (literally 'power' or 'energy') is added to the verb in question that is occuring. In Spanish verbs are modified and follow the auxiliary verbs estar, seguir, continuar or any other verb related to motion. Japanese more simply uses auxiliary verb iru following the main verb in -te form, while Vietnamese only have to worry about sliding in the simple modifier dang.