The present is also used:
- To tell facts considered unquestionable or universal truths.
- To describe a past event, making it more vivid. This is called the historical present.
- To express hypothetical actions introduced by Si (If).
- To refer to possible consequences from an action that took place in the past with Casi (Almost) and Por poco (Nearly).
Examples:
- Dos más dos son cuatro. – Two plus two is four.
- En 1969 el primer hombre llega a la luna. – The first man gets to the moon in 1969.
- Si él llega, salimos. – If he arrives, we leave.
- Agitó el cuchillo y casi me mata. – She waved the knife and nearly killed (kills) me.
