Six endings, one stem
Russian present tense is a six-cell table — one ending for each pronoun. The first conjugation (verbs that end in -ать or -ять) is the most common starter pattern: drop the -ть, then add the endings.
The endings (1st conjugation)
Take читать (to read). Drop -ть: чита-. Add the endings: - я читаю (I read) - ты читаешь (you read) - он читает / она читает (he/she reads) - мы читаем (we read) - вы читаете (you read) - они читают (they read) The -ю and -ешь / -ете pattern is the heart of this conjugation.
What 'present tense' means
Russian has only one present tense — there's no separate 'I read' vs 'I am reading'. Я читаю covers both. Context tells the listener whether you mean now or routinely.
The -ешь vs -ёшь spelling
When the stress falls on the ending, you might see -ёшь / -ёт / -ём / -ёте instead of -ешь / -ет / -ем / -ете. It's the same ending — just stressed. Don't worry about choosing — copy what the dictionary or this app shows.
Negation — easy
Add не before the verb. Я не читаю = I don't read / I am not reading.
