Present Simple vs Present Continious

Question

[TLDR] Why is the "I am seeing a lady" phrase mean that the guy who's saying this means that he's dating her, that it is not only at the moment of saying it, that it happens every day and why do I feel like I should say "to be dating" instead of just "to date"? [/TLDR]

Like "I'm dating somebody" instead of "I date somebody"?

And yes I just checked it in google and the first version is correct.

I kind of learned English on practice so I didn't know any rules and tenses (their names) and stuff like that. But now I am learning all that stuff and sometimes rules don't display how things actually are. For example I've just seen in the "Ocean's Eleven" movie how a guy says "I am seeing a nice lady".

But the rules say that "I am seeing" should mean that He is seeing at that moment and only at that moment, or He is willing to see her. But if he sees her every day, he should say "I see a nice lady". But again, as I feel, "I see a nice lady" has to mean that he's explaining his feelings at this moment, the feelings of what his eyes look at and see.

Answer 1

She's dating someone at the moment. [going out with them] [continuous]

She often dates red-haired guys, for some reason. [simple present]

The very general rule in English is this: present continuous of active verbs is used for something you are doing in the present in a continuous manner. Right now,I'm writing this answer for you. And, I'm not dating anyone as I am married. So, the continuous can be right this minute or continuously over a present time.

The simple present of active verbs is used for general statements.

I always try [general statement] to write my answers in clear English and always try [general statement] to address a specific question at the level at which it was asked.