Have past tense: had, had
possess, own
Have is an irregular English verb: the past simple of have is had and the past participle is had. Learn the three forms together — have – had – had.
Verb forms
Base form
/hæv/
Past Simple
/hæd/
Past Participle
/hæd/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · have
They have breakfast together every Sunday morning.
Past Simple · had
We had a wonderful time at the beach yesterday.
Past Participle · had
She has had the same car since 2015.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I have he / she / it has | I had | I have had |
| Present Continuous:I am having · he / she / it is having | ||
Common collocations
have a break
to pause in order to rest
have fun
to enjoy yourself
have a look
to look at something briefly
Grammar guide
Have belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (had). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – had: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – had: 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 have…? I didn’t have.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about have
- What is the past simple of have?
- The past simple of have is had.
- What is the past participle of have?
- The past participle of have is had.
- What are the three forms of have?
- The three forms are have – had – had: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is have a regular or an irregular verb?
- Have is irregular: its past simple is had, not haved.