VERBONKSPlay freeLead past tense and past participlelead · led · led
The past participle (the 3rd form) of lead is led and the past simple is led. The three forms are lead, led, led. Not "leaded"! lead is an irregular verb, so it doesn't add -ed.
Lead in a sentence
The dog led us to the fridge.
| Tense | Example |
|---|---|
| Present simple | I lead · she leads |
| Present continuous | I am leading · they are leading |
| Past simple | I led · she led · they led |
| Past simple, negative | I didn't lead · she didn't lead |
| Past simple, question | Did you lead? · Did she lead? |
| Present perfect | I have led · she has led |
| Past perfect | I had led |
| Future | I will lead |
Common mistakes with lead
✗ I leaded✓ I led✗ I didn't led✓ I didn't lead✗ Did you led?✓ Did you lead?✗ I have lead✓ I have led
After didn't and in questions with did, use the base form. After have / has / had, use the past participle.
❓ Test yourself: 10-question quizEn español
lead significa guiar, liderar. Pasado: led. Participio: led.
🤏 lead runs with The Shorties
long ee → short e
The Shorties used to be tall: meet, feed, lead, all with a long, proud ee. Then, in the past, something shrank them: met, fed, led. mean and deal kept their spelling but lost their height: meant and dealt sound like "ment" and "delt". Nobody knows who shrank them. Officer Bonk has his suspicions.
🔎 How to spot one: A long ee becomes a short e. Past and participle are twins.
Irregular verbs come in gangs that change the same way. Learn one and you can guess the rest of the gang:
| Base | Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|
| meet | met | met |
| feed | fed | fed |
| lead | led | led |
| mean | meant | meant |
| deal | dealt | dealt |
Questions about lead
What is the past tense of lead?
The past simple of "lead" is "led". Example: The dog led us to the fridge.
What is the past participle of lead?
The past participle (3rd form, V3) of "lead" is "led", as in "I have led".
What are the 3 forms of lead?
V1 lead, V2 led, V3 led.
Is lead a regular or an irregular verb?
"lead" is an irregular verb: the past is not "leaded" but "led".
¿Cuál es el pasado y el participio de lead?
"lead" significa "guiar, liderar". Pasado: led. Participio: led.