What is the past participle of shrink?

The past participle of shrink is shrunk.

What are the three forms of shrink?

The three forms are shrink – shrank – shrunk: base form, past simple and past participle.

Is shrink a regular or an irregular verb?

Shrink is irregular: its past simple is shrank, not shrinked.

Shrink past tense: shrank, shrunk

become smaller

Shrink is an irregular English verb: the past simple of shrink is shrank and the past participle is shrunk. Learn the three forms together — shrink – shrank – shrunk.

Verb forms

Base form

shrink

/ʃrɪŋk/

Past Simple

shrank

/ʃræŋk/

Past Participle

shrunk

/ʃrʌŋk/

Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).

Example sentences

Base form · shrink

Wool jumpers shrink if you wash them in hot water.

Past Simple · shrank

My favourite shirt shrank in the dryer.

Past Participle · shrunk

The company's profits have shrunk this quarter.

Key tenses

Present Simple	Past Simple	Present Perfect
I shrink he / she / it shrinks	I shrank	I have shrunk
Present Continuous:I am shrinking · he / she / it is shrinking

Learn when to use these forms:Past Simple lesson →Present Perfect lesson →

Grammar guide

Shrink belongs to the ABC group: all three forms are different (shrink – shrank – shrunk), so each form has to be learnt separately.

Past simple – shrank: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
Past participle – shrunk: 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 shrink…? I didn’t shrink.

Verbs with the same pattern

be — was/were — been do — did — done go — went — gone know — knew — known take — took — taken see — saw — seen

Quick quiz

Which sentence is correct?

Questions about shrink

What is the past simple of shrink?: The past simple of shrink is shrank.
What is the past participle of shrink?: The past participle of shrink is shrunk.
What are the three forms of shrink?: The three forms are shrink – shrank – shrunk: base form, past simple and past participle.
Is shrink a regular or an irregular verb?: Shrink is irregular: its past simple is shrank, not shrinked.