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Beat past tense: beat, beaten

strike repeatedly, defeat

Beat is an irregular English verb: the past simple of beat is beat and the past participle is beaten. Learn the three forms together — beat – beat – beaten.

Verb forms

Base form

beat

/biːt/

Past Simple

beat

/biːt/

Past Participle

beaten

/ˈbiːtn/

Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).

Example sentences

Base form · beat

My heart beats faster when I exercise.

Past Simple · beat

They beat the champions in the semi-final.

Past Participle · beaten

Our record has never been beaten.

Key tenses

Present SimplePast SimplePresent Perfect
I beat
he / she / it beats
I beatI have beaten
Present Continuous:I am beating  ·  he / she / it is beating
Learn when to use these forms:Past Simple lesson →Present Perfect lesson →

Grammar guide

  • Past simple – beat: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
  • Past participle – beaten: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
  • Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you beat…? I didn’t beat.

Verbs with the same pattern

be — was/were — beendo — did — donego — went — goneknow — knew — knowntake — took — takensee — saw — seen

Quick quiz

Which sentence is correct?

Questions about beat

What is the past simple of beat?
The past simple of beat is beat.
What is the past participle of beat?
The past participle of beat is beaten.
What are the three forms of beat?
The three forms are beat – beat – beaten: base form, past simple and past participle.
Is beat a regular or an irregular verb?
Beat is irregular: its past simple is beat, not beated.
Beat past tense: beat, beaten — irregular verb forms