Present Tense

In Pashto, present tense verbs in the indicative mood and the active voice are used to express:

a) customary, repeated actions

b) actions going on at the present moment

This tense has no fully corresponding tense in English. Depending on the context, this tense can be translated into English as the simple present tense or the present continuous tense. The present tense in Pashto is formed by adding the present personal endings to the present stems of verbs (or to the auxiliary verbs within compound verbs).

Negative forms are produced by adding the negative particle "not" نَه before a verb or before the auxiliary verb within a compound verb.

"I do not write" - زٌه نَه لیکٌم

"he does not go" - دَی نَه ڂى

"they do not work" - دُوی کار نَه کَوى

The tables below show the conjugations of present tense verbs.

Simple Verbs

("to write - لیکٌل , "to take" - اَخیسْتٌل , "to go" - تْلٌل )

Person	Number
Person	Singular	Plural
First	"I write" - [zA likAm ] زٌه لیکٌم "I take" - [zA ákhlAm ] زٌه اَخْلٌم "I go" - [zA dzAm ] زٌه ڂٌم	"we write" - [muGh líku ] مُوږ لیکُو "we write" - [muGh ákhlu ] اَخْلُو مُوږ "we go" - [muGh dzu ] مُوږ ڂُو
Second	"you write" - [tA líke ] تٌه لیکې "you take" - [tA ákhle ] تٌه اَخْلې "you go" - [tA dze ] تٌه ڂې	"you write" - [táse likÁy ] تاسی لیکۍ "you take" - [táse ákhlAy ] تاسی اخْلۍ "you go" - [táse dzAy ] تاسی ڂۍ
Third	"he writes" - [day líki ] دَی لیکى "she writes" - [daa líki ] دا لیکى "he takes" - [day ákhli ] دَی اَخْلى "she takes" - [daa ákhli ] دا اَخْلى "he goes" - [day dzi ] دَی ڂى "she goes" - [daa dzi ] دا ڂى	"they write" - [duy líki ] دُوی لیکى "they take" - [duy ákhli ] دُوی اَخْلى "they go" - [duy dzi ] دُوی ڂى

Verbs with Prefixes

("to come in" - نٌنَوَتٌل , "to receive" - رانیوٌل , "to sit down" - کېنَسْتَل )

Person	Number
Person	Singular	Plural
First	"I come in" - [zA nAnawúzAm] زٌه نٌنَوُزٌم "I receive" - [zA raanísAm] زٌه رانیسٌم "I sit down" - [zA kénAm] زٌه کېنٌم	"we come in" - [muGh nAnawúzu] مُوږ نٌنَوُزُو "we receive" - [muGh raanísu] مُوږ رانیسُو "we sit down" - [muGh kénu] مُوږ کېنُو
Second	"you come in" -[tA nAnawúze ] تٌه نٌنَوُزې "you receive" - [tA raaníse]تٌه رانیسې "you sit down" - [tA kéne ] تٌه کېنې	"you come in" - [táse nAnawúzAy ] تاسی نٌنَوُزۍ "you receive" - [táse raanísAy ] تاسی رانیسۍ "you sit" - [táse kénAy ] تاسی کېنۍ
Third	"he comes in" - [day nAnawúzi] دَی نٌنَوُزى "she comes in" - [daa nAnawúzi ] دا نٌنَوُزى "he receives" - [he raanísi ] دَی رانیسى "she receives" - [daa raanísi ] دا رانیسى "he sits down" - [day kéni] دَی کېنى "she sits down" - [daa kéni] دا کېنى	"they come in" - [duy nAnawúzi ] دوُی نٌنَوُزى "they receive" - [duy raanísi ] دوُی رانیسى "they sit down" - [duy kéni] دوُی کېنى

Verbs with Suffixes

("to turn" - گٌرْزېدٌل , "to build" - جُوړَوٌل , "to reach" - رَسېدٌل )

Person	Number
Person	Singular	Plural
First	"I turn" - [zA gArzAm ] زٌه گٌرْزٌم "I build" - [zA joRawÁm ] زٌه جُوړَوٌم "I reach" - [zA raséGhAm ] زٌه رَسېږٌم	"we turn" - [muGh gÁrzu ] مُوږ گٌرْزُو "we build" - [muGh joRawú ] مُوږ جُوړَوُو "we reach" - [muGh raséGhu ] مُوږ رَسېږُو
Second	"you turn" - [tA gÁrze ] تٌه گٌرْزې "you build" - [tA joRawé ] تٌه جُوړَوې "you reach" - [tA raséGhe ] تٌه رَسېږې	"you turn" - [táse gÁrzAy] تاسی گٌرْزۍ "you build" - [táse joRawÁy] تاسی جُوړَوۍ "you reach" - [táse raséGhAy ] تاسی رَسېږۍ
Third	"he turns" - [day gÁrzi ] دَی گٌرْزى "she turns" - [daa gÁrzi] دا گٌرْزى "he builds" - [day joRawí ] دَی جُوړَوى "she builds" - [daa joRawí ] دا جُوړَوى "he reaches" - [day raséGhi] دَی رَسېږى "she reaches" - [daa raséGhi] دا رَسېږى	"they turn" - [duy gÁrzi] دُوی گٌرْزى "they build" - [duy joRawi] ́ دُوی جُوړَوى "they reach" - [duy raséGhi ] دُوی رَسېږى

Compound Verbs

("to work" - کار کَوٌل , "to rise" - پُورتَه کېدٌل )

Person	Number
Person	Singular	Plural
First	"I work" - [zA kaar kawÁm ] زٌه کار کَوٌم "I rise" - [zA pórta kéGhAm] زٌه پُورْتَه کېږٌم	"we work" - [muGh kaar kawú] مُوږ کار کَوُو "we rise" - [muGh pórta kéGhu] مُوږ پُورْتَه کېږُو
Second	"you work" - [tA kaar kawé ] تٌه کار کَوې "you rise" - [tA pórta kéGhe] تٌه پُورْتَه کېږې	"you work" - [táse kaar kawÁy] تاسی کار کَوۍ "you rise" - [táse pórta kéGhAy] تاسی پُورْتَه کېږۍ
Third	"he works" - [day kaar kawí ] دَی کار کَوى "she works" - [daa kaar kawí ] دا کار کَوى "he rises" - [day pórta kéGhi] دَی پُورْتَه کېږى "she rises" - [daa pórta kéGhi] دا پُورْتَه کېږى	"they work" - [duy kaar kawí ] دُوی کار کَوى "they rise" - [duy pórta kéGhi] دُوی پُورْتَه کېږى