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The 50 most-used irregular verbs

Grouped by the pattern their three forms follow rather than by the alphabet. There are three ways of behaving, and each is learned once.

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51 verbs

The alphabetical list is the worst possible way to publish irregular verbs: it puts be next to bear and beat, three verbs with nothing in common, and asks you to memorise a hundred and fifty loose words.

By pattern it turns out there are only three behaviours: the ones that never change, the ones that repeat a form for past and participle, and the ones that change all three times. The second group is by far the biggest, and the third — the one you actually have to study — is surprisingly short.

All three forms the same

The easiest of the lot: they never change. The only risk is hesitating and adding an “-ed” that does not exist.

  • cutcutcut— cortar

    I cut my finger opening the box.

  • putputput— poner

    She put the keys on the table an hour ago.

  • letletlet— dejar, permitir

    They let us leave early on Friday.

  • setsetset— fijar, colocar

    We set the deadline for March.

  • hithithit— golpear

    The storm hit the coast at midnight.

  • costcostcost— costar

    That mistake cost us three clients.

  • shutshutshut— cerrar

    He shut the door without a word.

  • readreadread— leer — se escribe igual, se pronuncia /red/ en pasado

    I read the whole report last night.

Past and participle alike

By far the biggest group. Learn one form and it covers both the past and the participle.

  • havehadhad— tener, haber

    We had already left when she called.

  • saysaidsaid— decir

    He said he would call back.

  • makemademade— hacer, fabricar

    They made the decision without us.

  • getgotgot / gotten— conseguir, obtener

    I've got a lot better at this.

  • thinkthoughtthought— pensar

    I thought you were joking.

  • bringbroughtbrought— traer

    She brought her sister to the party.

  • buyboughtbought— comprar

    We bought the tickets weeks ago.

  • teachtaughttaught— enseñar

    Nobody taught me that at school.

  • catchcaughtcaught— atrapar, coger

    He caught the last train home.

  • findfoundfound— encontrar

    I found it under the sofa.

  • leaveleftleft— dejar, marcharse

    They left before the speeches.

  • feelfeltfelt— sentir

    I felt terrible about it afterwards.

  • keepkeptkept— guardar, mantener

    She kept every letter he sent.

  • sleepsleptslept— dormir

    I slept badly all week.

  • meetmetmet— conocer, quedar con

    We met at a conference in Lisbon.

  • loselostlost— perder

    They lost the contract last month.

  • paypaidpaid— pagar

    I paid for it in cash.

  • sellsoldsold— vender

    The flat sold in four days.

  • telltoldtold— contar, decir a alguien

    Nobody told me the meeting had moved.

  • holdheldheld— sostener, celebrar

    The conference was held in Berlin.

  • buildbuiltbuilt— construir

    They built the whole thing in a year.

  • sendsentsent— enviar

    I sent the invoice on Tuesday.

  • spendspentspent— gastar, pasar (tiempo)

    We spent the afternoon arguing.

  • standstoodstood— estar de pie, soportar

    He stood there saying nothing.

  • understandunderstoodunderstood— entender

    I understood about half of it.

  • hearheardheard— oír

    Have you heard the news?

  • winwonwon— ganar

    She won the case on appeal.

  • sitsatsat— sentarse

    We sat outside until it got cold.

All three forms different

The ones you actually have to learn. There are few of them, and they are the most used.

  • bewas / werebeen— ser, estar

    I've been here since eight.

  • gowentgone— ir

    She's gone to the airport already.

  • dodiddone— hacer

    I've done everything you asked.

  • seesawseen— ver

    I saw her yesterday, but I haven't seen him.

  • taketooktaken— tomar, llevar

    It's taken longer than we expected.

  • givegavegiven— dar

    They gave us an extra week.

  • knowknewknown— saber, conocer

    I've known her for years.

  • writewrotewritten— escribir

    He'd written three drafts before that one.

  • speakspokespoken— hablar

    I've spoken to them twice.

  • breakbrokebroken— romper

    Someone's broken the printer again.

  • drivedrovedriven— conducir

    She'd driven all night to get there.

  • beginbeganbegun— empezar

    The talks had begun without them.

  • drinkdrankdrunk— beber

    He'd drunk far too much coffee.

  • eatateeaten— comer

    Have you eaten yet?

  • forgetforgotforgotten— olvidar

    I'd forgotten how cold it gets here.

FROM WHAT YOU READ TO WHAT YOU SAY

You know the table. The conversation is the problem.

Reciting “go, went, gone” is not the same as saying gone without thinking halfway through a sentence. Fluvia corrects you exactly there, the moment it slips.

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