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Bleed past tense: bled, bled
lose blood
Bleed is an irregular English verb: the past simple of bleed is bled and the past participle is bled. Learn the three forms together — bleed – bled – bled.
Verb forms
Base form
bleed
/bliːd/
Past Simple
bled
/bled/
Past Participle
bled
/bled/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · bleed
Small cuts bleed for only a few minutes.
Past Simple · bled
His nose bled after the ball hit him.
Past Participle · bled
The colours have bled into each other in the wash.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I bleed he / she / it bleeds | I bled | I have bled |
| Present Continuous:I am bleeding · he / she / it is bleeding | ||
Grammar guide
Bleed belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (bled). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – bled: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – bled: 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 bleed…? I didn’t bleed.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about bleed
- What is the past simple of bleed?
- The past simple of bleed is bled.
- What is the past participle of bleed?
- The past participle of bleed is bled.
- What are the three forms of bleed?
- The three forms are bleed – bled – bled: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is bleed a regular or an irregular verb?
- Bleed is irregular: its past simple is bled, not bleeded.