VERBONKSPlay freeMean past tense and past participlemean · meant · meant
The past participle (the 3rd form) of mean is meant and the past simple is meant. The three forms are mean, meant, meant. Not "meaned"! mean is an irregular verb, so it doesn't add -ed.
Mean in a sentence
Sorry, I meant "went", not "goed".
| Tense | Example |
|---|---|
| Present simple | I mean · she means |
| Past simple | I meant · she meant · they meant |
| Past simple, negative | I didn't mean · she didn't mean |
| Past simple, question | Did you mean? · Did she mean? |
| Present perfect | I have meant · she has meant |
| Past perfect | I had meant |
| Future | I will mean |
Common mistakes with mean
✗ I meaned✓ I meant✗ I didn't meant✓ I didn't mean✗ Did you meant?✓ Did you mean?✗ I have mean✓ I have meant
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
mean significa significar, querer decir. Pasado: meant. Participio: meant.
🤏 mean 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 mean
What is the past tense of mean?
The past simple of "mean" is "meant". Example: Sorry, I meant "went", not "goed".
What is the past participle of mean?
The past participle (3rd form, V3) of "mean" is "meant", as in "I have meant".
What are the 3 forms of mean?
V1 mean, V2 meant, V3 meant.
Is mean a regular or an irregular verb?
"mean" is an irregular verb: the past is not "meaned" but "meant".
¿Cuál es el pasado y el participio de mean?
"mean" significa "significar, querer decir". Pasado: meant. Participio: meant.