The Present Progressive or Continual Present tense is very useful and easy to form in Portuguese. This tense represent ongoing action in the present; its counterpart in English is the construction [subject] is [verb] – ing for example: I am running

To form this tense in Portuguese, all you need to do is employ the verb estar and the gerund of the verb you wish to use. One forms the gerund in Portuguese by dropping the ending (-ar, -er, -ir) and adding -ando, -endo, -indo respectively.

Some examples:
Estou falando; I am speaking
Ele está indo; He is going
O presidente está mandando;The president is ordering
A familia está despedindo;The family is saying goodbye
Ela está treinando;She is training
Você está fazendo;You are doing

This form is one where the continental (European) form is different from the Brazilian. In Portugal, the presente contínuo is comprised of the verb estar plus a and the infinitive. An example would be: Você está a escrever? Are you writing.

This difference is one of the first things to jump out at a student of Brazilian Portuguese when hearing continental Portuguese for the first time.