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Win past tense: won, won
be victorious
Win is an irregular English verb: the past simple of win is won and the past participle is won. Learn the three forms together — win – won – won.
Verb forms
Base form
win
/wɪn/
Past Simple
won
/wʌn/
Past Participle
won
/wʌn/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · win
Our team wins most of its home games.
Past Simple · won
She won first prize in the photography contest.
Past Participle · won
The lottery has been won by someone in our town.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I win he / she / it wins | I won | I have won |
| Present Continuous:I am winning · he / she / it is winning | ||
Grammar guide
Win belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (won). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – won: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – won: 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 win…? I didn’t win.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about win
- What is the past simple of win?
- The past simple of win is won.
- What is the past participle of win?
- The past participle of win is won.
- What are the three forms of win?
- The three forms are win – won – won: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is win a regular or an irregular verb?
- Win is irregular: its past simple is won, not winned.