What is the past participle of catch?

The past participle of catch is caught.

What are the three forms of catch?

The three forms are catch – caught – caught: base form, past simple and past participle.

Is catch a regular or an irregular verb?

Catch is irregular: its past simple is caught, not catched.

Catch past tense: caught, caught

seize, capture

Catch is an irregular English verb: the past simple of catch is caught and the past participle is caught. Learn the three forms together — catch – caught – caught.

Verb forms

Base form

catch

/kætʃ/

Past Simple

caught

/kɔːt/

Past Participle

caught

/kɔːt/

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

Example sentences

Base form · catch

Cats catch mice by instinct.

Past Simple · caught

She caught the last bus just in time.

Past Participle · caught

The thief has finally been caught by the police.

Key tenses

Present Simple	Past Simple	Present Perfect
I catch he / she / it catches	I caught	I have caught
Present Continuous:I am catching · he / she / it is catching

Learn when to use these forms:Past Simple lesson →Present Perfect lesson →

Grammar guide

Catch belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (caught). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.

Past simple – caught: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
Past participle – caught: 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 catch…? I didn’t catch.

Verbs with the same pattern

have — had — had say — said — said get — got — got/gotten make — made — made think — thought — thought find — found — found

Quick quiz

Which sentence is correct?

Questions about catch

What is the past simple of catch?: The past simple of catch is caught.
What is the past participle of catch?: The past participle of catch is caught.
What are the three forms of catch?: The three forms are catch – caught – caught: base form, past simple and past participle.
Is catch a regular or an irregular verb?: Catch is irregular: its past simple is caught, not catched.