Progressive form of movement verbs (or other stative verbs)


This is a fork from the question [What's the progressive form of 来る, 帰る and
行く](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/50491/whats-the-progressive-
form-of-%E6%9D%A5%E3%82%8B-%E5%B8%B0%E3%82%8B-and-%E8%A1%8C%E3%81%8F).

So the question explained that when ている is conjugated with these movement
verbs (or other verbs that are more or less instantaneous, causing state
changes), it does not translate into the progressive form of the verb, rather
than the subject now being in the state of the verb having happened. (Correct
me if my understanding is incorrect)

So my question now is, how do I conjugate them if I really want to convey the
progressive form? For this discussion, let's narrow it down to movement verbs
like 来る, 帰る, and 行く. (Or does the same apply to other stative verbs as well?)

例えば、この会話を考えましょう。私は今電車に乗っていて、友達と電話していることを想像してください。

> 友人：「もうついた？」
>
> 私：「ううん、まだ。I am going there now.」

How should I translate the statement in English? Is there a way to translate
the progressive tense of such movement verbs (In this case I think it should
be 行く?) into the progressive sense literally as we have in English -ing,
without changing it into other phrases with similar meaning (e.g. translating
it to something like "I'm on my way there")?

EDIT: P.S. the sentence in the bracket is not the translation of the dialogue
in Japanese, it is meant to be the second sentence after the first sentence,
i.e. the sentence which I wanted to translate.

EDIT: Also related: [When is Vている the continuation of action and when is it
the continuation of state?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/3140/33363)




The simplest (and the most natural) solution is to choose a safer "continuous-
action" verb:

  * 向{む}かってるよ。
  * 移動{いどう}しています。 (businesslike)

These normally have the progressive meaning, "is coming (now)". If you didn't
know the verb 向{む}かう, this is the time to learn it.

If you insist on using 行く/来る/帰る, note that these are not 100% "instant change-
in-state" verbs. Their ている-form can have a progressive meaning if you use it
in a right context with right modifiers such as 今.

  * 彼は **今** こちらに来ていますので、もう少し待ってください。
  * **今、電車で** 家に帰ってるよ。

And you can use ところ to make the progressive meaning more explicit. [The
question you linked](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/3122/5010) explains
how to use ところ well.

> There are times when you want to take a change-in-state verb and "zoom in"
> on the point when the change takes place to treat it like a continuous-
> action verb. This is what ～ところ is for.

  * 彼はこちらに **来ているところ** です。 He is coming here (now).
  * 家に **帰っているところ** です。 I'm on my way home.




The simplest (and the most natural) solution is to choose a safer "continuous-
action" verb:

  * 向{む}かってるよ。
  * 移動{いどう}しています。 (businesslike)

These normally have the progressive meaning, "is coming (now)". If you didn't
know the verb 向{む}かう, this is the time to learn it.

If you insist on using 行く/来る/帰る, note that these are not 100% "instant change-
in-state" verbs. Their ている-form can have a progressive meaning if you use it
in a right context with right modifiers such as 今.

  * 彼は **今** こちらに来ていますので、もう少し待ってください。
  * **今、電車で** 家に帰ってるよ。

And you can use ところ to make the progressive meaning more explicit. [The
question you linked](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/3122/5010) explains
how to use ところ well.

> There are times when you want to take a change-in-state verb and "zoom in"
> on the point when the change takes place to treat it like a continuous-
> action verb. This is what ～ところ is for.

  * 彼はこちらに **来ているところ** です。 He is coming here (now).
  * 家に **帰っているところ** です。 I'm on my way home.

