Say past tense: said, said
utter words
Say is an irregular English verb: the past simple of say is said and the past participle is said. Learn the three forms together — say – said – said.
Verb forms
Base form
/seɪ/
Past Simple
/sed/
Past Participle
/sed/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · say
People say this restaurant serves the best pasta in town.
Past Simple · said
She said goodbye and walked out the door.
Past Participle · said
Everything that needed to be said has been said.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I say he / she / it says | I said | I have said |
| Present Continuous:I am saying · he / she / it is saying | ||
Common collocations
say hello
to greet someone
say sorry
to apologise
say a few words
to make a short speech
Grammar guide
Say belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (said). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – said: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – said: 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 say…? I didn’t say.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about say
- What is the past simple of say?
- The past simple of say is said.
- What is the past participle of say?
- The past participle of say is said.
- What are the three forms of say?
- The three forms are say – said – said: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is say a regular or an irregular verb?
- Say is irregular: its past simple is said, not sayed.