Give past tense: gave, given
transfer, donate
Give is an irregular English verb: the past simple of give is gave and the past participle is given. Learn the three forms together — give – gave – given.
Verb forms
Base form
/ɡɪv/
Past Simple
/ɡeɪv/
Past Participle
/ˈɡɪvn/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · give
They give money to charity every Christmas.
Past Simple · gave
She gave me a book for my birthday.
Past Participle · given
He has given up smoking at last.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I give he / she / it gives | I gave | I have given |
| Present Continuous:I am giving · he / she / it is giving | ||
Common collocations
give up
to stop trying
give a hand
to help someone
give advice
to offer guidance
Grammar guide
Give belongs to the ABC group: all three forms are different (give – gave – given), so each form has to be learnt separately.
- Past simple – gave: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – given: 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 give…? I didn’t give.
Verbs with the same pattern
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about give
- What is the past simple of give?
- The past simple of give is gave.
- What is the past participle of give?
- The past participle of give is given.
- What are the three forms of give?
- The three forms are give – gave – given: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is give a regular or an irregular verb?
- Give is irregular: its past simple is gave, not gived.