Leave past tense: left, left
depart, abandon
Leave is an irregular English verb: the past simple of leave is left and the past participle is left. Learn the three forms together — leave – left – left.
Verb forms
Base form
/liːv/
Past Simple
/left/
Past Participle
/left/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · leave
I leave the house at seven every morning.
Past Simple · left
They left the party just after midnight.
Past Participle · left
She has left her phone at home again.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I leave he / she / it leaves | I left | I have left |
| Present Continuous:I am leaving · he / she / it is leaving | ||
Common collocations
leave alone
to stop bothering someone
leave behind
to forget or abandon something
Grammar guide
Leave belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (left). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – left: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – left: 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 leave…? I didn’t leave.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about leave
- What is the past simple of leave?
- The past simple of leave is left.
- What is the past participle of leave?
- The past participle of leave is left.
- What are the three forms of leave?
- The three forms are leave – left – left: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is leave a regular or an irregular verb?
- Leave is irregular: its past simple is left, not leaved.