⏳ Past Tense
The English past tense is used to talk about actions and events that have already happened. You use it for yesterday, last week, last year, or any completed event in the past. Learning the past tense helps you tell stories, describe experiences, and talk about what happened. Each English phrase includes translations in several languages.
🟢 When to Use the Past Tense
🕒 Completed actions
the action is finished
I finished my homework.
She cleaned the kitchen.
🇫🇷 French: J'ai fini mes devoirs. / Elle a nettoyé la cuisine.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe meine Hausaufgaben beendet. / Sie hat die Küche geputzt.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho finito i compiti. / Lei ha pulito la cucina.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eu terminei a lição de casa. / Ela limpou a cozinha.
the action is finished
I finished my homework.
She cleaned the kitchen.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Terminé mi tarea. / Ella limpió la cocina.🇫🇷 French: J'ai fini mes devoirs. / Elle a nettoyé la cuisine.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe meine Hausaufgaben beendet. / Sie hat die Küche geputzt.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho finito i compiti. / Lei ha pulito la cucina.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eu terminei a lição de casa. / Ela limpou a cozinha.
📅 Specific times
the past tense often goes with a finished time
We arrived at noon.
They left on Friday.
🇫🇷 French: Nous sommes arrivés à midi. / Ils sont partis vendredi.
🇩🇪 German: Wir sind mittags angekommen. / Sie sind am Freitag abgefahren.
🇮🇹 Italian: Siamo arrivati a mezzogiorno. / Sono partiti venerdì.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Chegamos ao meio-dia. / Eles saíram na sexta-feira.
the past tense often goes with a finished time
We arrived at noon.
They left on Friday.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Llegamos al mediodía. / Ellos se fueron el viernes.🇫🇷 French: Nous sommes arrivés à midi. / Ils sont partis vendredi.
🇩🇪 German: Wir sind mittags angekommen. / Sie sind am Freitag abgefahren.
🇮🇹 Italian: Siamo arrivati a mezzogiorno. / Sono partiti venerdì.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Chegamos ao meio-dia. / Eles saíram na sexta-feira.
🎉 Past experiences
things you did at some time before now
I visited Iceland last summer.
He climbed his first mountain.
🇫🇷 French: J'ai visité l'Islande l'été dernier. / Il a gravi sa première montagne.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe Island letzten Sommer besucht. / Er hat seinen ersten Berg bestiegen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho visitato l'Islanda l'estate scorsa. / Lui ha scalato la sua prima montagna.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eu visitei a Islândia no verão passado. / Ele subiu sua primeira montanha.
things you did at some time before now
I visited Iceland last summer.
He climbed his first mountain.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Visité Islandia el verano pasado. / Él subió su primera montaña.🇫🇷 French: J'ai visité l'Islande l'été dernier. / Il a gravi sa première montagne.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe Island letzten Sommer besucht. / Er hat seinen ersten Berg bestiegen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho visitato l'Islanda l'estate scorsa. / Lui ha scalato la sua prima montagna.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eu visitei a Islândia no verão passado. / Ele subiu sua primeira montanha.
📖 A series of events
several finished actions in order
I woke up, made breakfast, and caught the train.
🇫🇷 French: Je me suis réveillé, j'ai préparé le petit-déjeuner et j'ai pris le train.
🇩🇪 German: Ich bin aufgewacht, habe gefrühstückt und den Zug genommen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Mi sono svegliato, ho preparato la colazione e ho preso il treno.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eu acordei, fiz o café da manhã e peguei o trem.
several finished actions in order
I woke up, made breakfast, and caught the train.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Me desperté, preparé el desayuno y tomé el tren.🇫🇷 French: Je me suis réveillé, j'ai préparé le petit-déjeuner et j'ai pris le train.
🇩🇪 German: Ich bin aufgewacht, habe gefrühstückt und den Zug genommen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Mi sono svegliato, ho preparato la colazione e ho preso il treno.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eu acordei, fiz o café da manhã e peguei o trem.
🧠 Useful Grammar
Common time words
yesterday · last night · last weekend
two days ago · in 2023
yesterday · last night · last weekend
two days ago · in 2023
Regular verbs
most verbs add -ed
walk → walked
paint → painted
laugh → laughed
most verbs add -ed
walk → walked
paint → painted
laugh → laughed
Irregular verbs
some verbs change completely
go → went
eat → ate
see → saw
buy → bought
some verbs change completely
go → went
eat → ate
see → saw
buy → bought
⚠️ Common Learner Mistakes
❌ Yesterday I go shopping.
✅ Yesterday I went shopping.
go is irregular: go → went
✅ Yesterday I went shopping.
go is irregular: go → went
❌ She buyed a bicycle.
✅ She bought a bicycle.
buy is irregular: buy → bought
✅ She bought a bicycle.
buy is irregular: buy → bought
❌ We goed home early.
✅ We went home early.
do not add -ed to go
✅ We went home early.
do not add -ed to go
❌ He play football yesterday.
✅ He played football yesterday.
regular verbs add -ed
✅ He played football yesterday.
regular verbs add -ed
❓ Useful Questions
What did you do yesterday?
use did + the base verb
🇫🇷 French: Qu'avez-vous fait hier ?
🇩🇪 German: Was haben Sie gestern gemacht?
🇮🇹 Italian: Cosa hai fatto ieri?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O que você fez ontem?
use did + the base verb
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Qué hiciste ayer?🇫🇷 French: Qu'avez-vous fait hier ?
🇩🇪 German: Was haben Sie gestern gemacht?
🇮🇹 Italian: Cosa hai fatto ieri?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O que você fez ontem?
Where did you grow up?
asks about a finished time in the past
🇫🇷 French: Où avez-vous grandi ?
🇩🇪 German: Wo sind Sie aufgewachsen?
🇮🇹 Italian: Dove sei cresciuto?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Onde você cresceu?
asks about a finished time in the past
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Dónde creciste?🇫🇷 French: Où avez-vous grandi ?
🇩🇪 German: Wo sind Sie aufgewachsen?
🇮🇹 Italian: Dove sei cresciuto?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Onde você cresceu?
When did you arrive?
asks about a completed action
🇫🇷 French: Quand êtes-vous arrivé ?
🇩🇪 German: Wann sind Sie angekommen?
🇮🇹 Italian: Quando sei arrivato?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quando você chegou?
asks about a completed action
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Cuándo llegaste?🇫🇷 French: Quand êtes-vous arrivé ?
🇩🇪 German: Wann sind Sie angekommen?
🇮🇹 Italian: Quando sei arrivato?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quando você chegou?
Who taught you English?
uses the irregular past form taught
🇫🇷 French: Qui vous a appris l'anglais ?
🇩🇪 German: Wer hat Ihnen Englisch beigebracht?
🇮🇹 Italian: Chi ti ha insegnato l'inglese?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quem te ensinou inglês?
uses the irregular past form taught
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Quién te enseñó inglés?🇫🇷 French: Qui vous a appris l'anglais ?
🇩🇪 German: Wer hat Ihnen Englisch beigebracht?
🇮🇹 Italian: Chi ti ha insegnato l'inglese?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quem te ensinou inglês?
💬 Everyday Conversation
Talking about the weekend
past tense for finished events
A: What did you do over the weekend?
B: I visited my grandparents and helped them in the garden.
A: Did you have good weather?
B: Yes, it stayed sunny all day.
🇪🇸 B: Visité a mis abuelos y les ayudé en el jardín.
🇪🇸 A: ¿Tuvieron buen tiempo?
🇪🇸 B: Sí, estuvo soleado todo el día.
🇫🇷 A: Qu'avez-vous fait ce week-end ?
🇫🇷 B: J'ai rendu visite à mes grands-parents et je les ai aidés dans le jardin.
🇫🇷 A: Aviez-vous beau temps ?
🇫🇷 B: Oui, il est resté ensoleillé toute la journée.
🇩🇪 A: Was haben Sie am Wochenende gemacht?
🇩🇪 B: Ich habe meine Großeltern besucht und ihnen im Garten geholfen.
🇩🇪 A: Hatten Sie gutes Wetter?
🇩🇪 B: Ja, es blieb den ganzen Tag sonnig.
🇮🇹 A: Cosa hai fatto nel fine settimana?
🇮🇹 B: Ho visitato i miei nonni e li ho aiutati in giardino.
🇮🇹 A: Avete avuto bel tempo?
🇮🇹 B: Sì, è rimasto soleggiato tutto il giorno.
🇵🇹 A: O que você fez no fim de semana?
🇵🇹 B: Visitei meus avós e ajudei eles no jardim.
🇵🇹 A: Vocês tiveram bom tempo?
🇵🇹 B: Sim, ficou ensolarado o dia todo.
past tense for finished events
A: What did you do over the weekend?
B: I visited my grandparents and helped them in the garden.
A: Did you have good weather?
B: Yes, it stayed sunny all day.
Show translations
🇪🇸 A: ¿Qué hiciste el fin de semana?🇪🇸 B: Visité a mis abuelos y les ayudé en el jardín.
🇪🇸 A: ¿Tuvieron buen tiempo?
🇪🇸 B: Sí, estuvo soleado todo el día.
🇫🇷 A: Qu'avez-vous fait ce week-end ?
🇫🇷 B: J'ai rendu visite à mes grands-parents et je les ai aidés dans le jardin.
🇫🇷 A: Aviez-vous beau temps ?
🇫🇷 B: Oui, il est resté ensoleillé toute la journée.
🇩🇪 A: Was haben Sie am Wochenende gemacht?
🇩🇪 B: Ich habe meine Großeltern besucht und ihnen im Garten geholfen.
🇩🇪 A: Hatten Sie gutes Wetter?
🇩🇪 B: Ja, es blieb den ganzen Tag sonnig.
🇮🇹 A: Cosa hai fatto nel fine settimana?
🇮🇹 B: Ho visitato i miei nonni e li ho aiutati in giardino.
🇮🇹 A: Avete avuto bel tempo?
🇮🇹 B: Sì, è rimasto soleggiato tutto il giorno.
🇵🇹 A: O que você fez no fim de semana?
🇵🇹 B: Visitei meus avós e ajudei eles no jardim.
🇵🇹 A: Vocês tiveram bom tempo?
🇵🇹 B: Sim, ficou ensolarado o dia todo.
📝 Example Sentences
🚂 The train arrived ten minutes early.
a completed action at a specific time
🇫🇷 French: Le train est arrivé dix minutes en avance.
🇩🇪 German: Der Zug kam zehn Minuten früher an.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il treno è arrivato dieci minuti in anticipo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O trem chegou dez minutos adiantado.
a completed action at a specific time
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: El tren llegó diez minutos antes.🇫🇷 French: Le train est arrivé dix minutes en avance.
🇩🇪 German: Der Zug kam zehn Minuten früher an.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il treno è arrivato dieci minuti in anticipo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O trem chegou dez minutos adiantado.
🎨 My sister painted a colorful mural.
regular past tense with -ed
🇫🇷 French: Ma sœur a peint une fresque colorée.
🇩🇪 German: Meine Schwester hat ein buntes Wandgemälde gemalt.
🇮🇹 Italian: Mia sorella ha dipinto un murale colorato.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Minha irmã pintou um mural colorido.
regular past tense with -ed
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Mi hermana pintó un mural colorido.🇫🇷 French: Ma sœur a peint une fresque colorée.
🇩🇪 German: Meine Schwester hat ein buntes Wandgemälde gemalt.
🇮🇹 Italian: Mia sorella ha dipinto un murale colorato.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Minha irmã pintou um mural colorido.
🏕️ We built a campfire beside the lake.
an action completed in the past
🇫🇷 French: Nous avons allumé un feu de camp près du lac.
🇩🇪 German: Wir haben ein Lagerfeuer neben dem See gemacht.
🇮🇹 Italian: Abbiamo acceso un falò vicino al lago.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fizemos uma fogueira ao lado do lago.
an action completed in the past
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Construimos una fogata junto al lago.🇫🇷 French: Nous avons allumé un feu de camp près du lac.
🇩🇪 German: Wir haben ein Lagerfeuer neben dem See gemacht.
🇮🇹 Italian: Abbiamo acceso un falò vicino al lago.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fizemos uma fogueira ao lado do lago.
📚 I found an interesting book at the market.
irregular verb: find → found
🇫🇷 French: J'ai trouvé un livre intéressant au marché.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe auf dem Markt ein interessantes Buch gefunden.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho trovato un libro interessante al mercato.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Encontrei um livro interessante no mercado.
irregular verb: find → found
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Encontré un libro interesante en el mercado.🇫🇷 French: J'ai trouvé un livre intéressant au marché.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe auf dem Markt ein interessantes Buch gefunden.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho trovato un libro interessante al mercato.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Encontrei um livro interessante no mercado.
🌠 They watched a meteor shower last night.
a finished event
🇫🇷 French: Ils ont regardé une pluie d'étoiles filantes hier soir.
🇩🇪 German: Sie haben gestern Abend einen Meteorstrom beobachtet.
🇮🇹 Italian: Hanno guardato una pioggia di meteore ieri sera.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eles assistiram a uma chuva de meteoros ontem à noite.
a finished event
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Vieron una lluvia de meteoros anoche.🇫🇷 French: Ils ont regardé une pluie d'étoiles filantes hier soir.
🇩🇪 German: Sie haben gestern Abend einen Meteorstrom beobachtet.
🇮🇹 Italian: Hanno guardato una pioggia di meteore ieri sera.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eles assistiram a uma chuva de meteoros ontem à noite.
🚴 Oliver rode his bicycle across the bridge.
irregular verb: ride → rode
🇫🇷 French: Oliver a traversé le pont à vélo.
🇩🇪 German: Oliver ist mit dem Fahrrad über die Brücke gefahren.
🇮🇹 Italian: Oliver ha attraversato il ponte in bicicletta.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Oliver andou de bicicleta pela ponte.
irregular verb: ride → rode
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Oliver montó su bicicleta a través del puente.🇫🇷 French: Oliver a traversé le pont à vélo.
🇩🇪 German: Oliver ist mit dem Fahrrad über die Brücke gefahren.
🇮🇹 Italian: Oliver ha attraversato il ponte in bicicletta.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Oliver andou de bicicleta pela ponte.
🏆 Final Practice
English in the Real World:
Read the situation. Choose the past-tense form that fits.
Read the situation. Choose the past-tense form that fits.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%