Think past tense: thought, thought
use the mind
Think is an irregular English verb: the past simple of think is thought and the past participle is thought. Learn the three forms together — think – thought – thought.
Verb forms
Base form
/θɪŋk/
Past Simple
/θɔːt/
Past Participle
/θɔːt/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · think
I think this is a brilliant idea.
Past Simple · thought
He thought about the offer for a long time.
Past Participle · thought
I had never thought of it that way before.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I think he / she / it thinks | I thought | I have thought |
| Present Continuous:I am thinking · he / she / it is thinking | ||
Common collocations
think twice
to reconsider carefully
think over
to consider something carefully
think out loud
to speak your thoughts as they come
Grammar guide
Think belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (thought). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – thought: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – thought: 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 think…? I didn’t think.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about think
- What is the past simple of think?
- The past simple of think is thought.
- What is the past participle of think?
- The past participle of think is thought.
- What are the three forms of think?
- The three forms are think – thought – thought: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is think a regular or an irregular verb?
- Think is irregular: its past simple is thought, not thinked.