Forbid past tense: forbade, forbidden
prohibit
Forbid is an irregular English verb: the past simple of forbid is forbade and the past participle is forbidden. Learn the three forms together — forbid – forbade – forbidden.
Verb forms
Base form
/fəˈbɪd/
Past Simple
/fəˈbæd/
Past Participle
/fəˈbɪdn/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · forbid
Many schools forbid mobile phones in class.
Past Simple · forbade
Her parents forbade her from staying out late.
Past Participle · forbidden
Smoking has been forbidden in restaurants since 2007.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I forbid he / she / it forbids | I forbade | I have forbidden |
| Present Continuous:I am forbidding · he / she / it is forbidding | ||
Grammar guide
Forbid belongs to the ABC group: all three forms are different (forbid – forbade – forbidden), so each form has to be learnt separately.
- Past simple – forbade: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – forbidden: 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 forbid…? I didn’t forbid.
Verbs with the same pattern
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about forbid
- What is the past simple of forbid?
- The past simple of forbid is forbade.
- What is the past participle of forbid?
- The past participle of forbid is forbidden.
- What are the three forms of forbid?
- The three forms are forbid – forbade – forbidden: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is forbid a regular or an irregular verb?
- Forbid is irregular: its past simple is forbade, not forbidded.