ABB
Irregular verbs with the same past simple and past participle
The past simple and the past participle are the same, like bring, brought, brought. Learners often call this the ABB pattern. Here are the 86 verbs in the Irregular Verbs app that follow it, with their meaning and CEFR level. Learning verbs in groups like this can make their forms easier to remember.
| Base form | Past simple | Past participle | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| buy | bought | bought | Obtain in exchange for payment. | A1 |
| feel | felt | felt | Experience (an emotion or sensation). | A1 |
| find | found | found | Discover or perceive by chance or unexpectedly. | A1 |
| get | got | got or gotten | Come to have or hold (something); receive. | A1 |
| have | had | had | Possess, own, or hold. | A1 |
| hear | heard | heard | Perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something). | A1 |
| learn | learnt | learnt | Gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught. | A1 |
| leave | left | left | Go away from. | A1 |
| make | made | made | Form (something) by putting parts together or combining substances; construct; create. | A1 |
| meet | met | met | Come into the presence or company of (someone) by chance or arrangement. | A1 |
| pay | paid | paid | Give (someone) money that is due for work done, goods received, or a debt incurred. | A1 |
| say | said | said | Utter words so as to convey information, an opinion, a feeling or intention, or an instruction. | A1 |
| send | sent | sent | Cause to go or be taken to a particular destination; arrange for the delivery of, especially by mail. | A1 |
| sit | sat | sat | Adopt or be in a position in which one's weight is supported by one's buttocks rather than one's feet and one's back is upright. | A1 |
| sleep | slept | slept | A condition of body and mind that typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended. | A1 |
| teach | taught | taught | Show or explain to (someone) how to do something. | A1 |
| tell | told | told | Communicate information, facts, or news to someone in spoken or written words. | A1 |
| think | thought | thought | Have a particular opinion, belief, or idea about someone or something. | A1 |
| bring | brought | brought | Take or go with (someone or something) to a place. | A2 |
| build | built | built | Construct (something) by putting parts or material together. | A2 |
| catch | caught | caught | Intercept and hold (something which has been thrown, propelled, or dropped). | A2 |
| dream | dreamt | dreamt | A series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. | A2 |
| hold | held | held | Grasp, carry, or support with one's hands. | A2 |
| keep | kept | kept | Have or retain possession of. | A2 |
| lose | lost | lost | Be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something). | A2 |
| mean | meant | meant | Intend to convey, indicate, or refer to (a particular thing or notion); signify. | A2 |
| sell | sold | sold | Give or hand over (something) in exchange for money. | A2 |
| spend | spent | spent | Pay out (money) in buying or hiring goods or services. | A2 |
| spell | spelt | spelt | Write or name the letters that form (a word) in correct sequence. | A2 |
| stand | stood | stood | Have or maintain an upright position, supported by one's feet. | A2 |
| understand | understood | understood | Perceive the intended meaning of (words, a language, or a speaker). | A2 |
| win | won | won | Be successful or victorious in (a contest or conflict). | A2 |
| bleed | bled | bled | Lose blood from the body as a result of injury or illness. | B1 |
| burn | burnt | burnt | (Of a fire) produce flames and heat while consuming a material such as coal or wood. | B1 |
| deal | dealt | dealt | Take part in commercial trading of a particular commodity. | B1 |
| dig | dug | dug | Break up and move earth with a tool or machine, or with hands, paws, snout, etc. | B1 |
| feed | fed | fed | Give food to. | B1 |
| fight | fought | fought | Take part in a violent struggle involving the exchange of physical blows or the use of weapons. | B1 |
| hang | hung | hung | Suspend or be suspended from above with the lower part dangling free. | B1 |
| lay | laid | laid | Put down, especially gently or carefully. | B1 |
| lead | led | led | Cause (a person or animal) to go with one by holding them by the hand, a halter, a rope, etc. while moving forward. | B1 |
| lend | lent | lent | Grant to (someone) the use of (something) on the understanding that it shall be returned. | B1 |
| light | lit | lit | Provide with light or lighting; illuminate. | B1 |
| shine | shone | shone | (Of the sun or another source of light) give out a bright light. | B1 |
| shoot | shot | shot | Kill or wound (a person or animal) with a bullet or arrow. | B1 |
| smell | smelt | smelt | Perceive or detect the odor or scent of (something). | B1 |
| spill | spilt | spilt | Cause or allow (liquid) to flow over the edge of its container, especially unintentionally. | B1 |
| spoil | spoilt | spoilt | Diminish or destroy the value or quality of. | B1 |
| stick | stuck | stuck | Push a sharp or pointed object into or through (something). | B1 |
| bend | bent | bent | Shape or force (something straight) into a curve or angle. | B2 |
| breed | bred | bred | (Of animals) mate and then produce offspring. | B2 |
| kneel | knelt | knelt | Be in or assume a position in which the body is supported by a knee or the knees, as when praying or showing submission. | B2 |
| lean | leant | leant | Be in or move into a sloping position. | B2 |
| sting | stung | stung | Wound or pierce with a sting. | B2 |
| strike | struck | struck or stricken | Hit forcibly and deliberately with one's hand or a weapon or other implement. | B2 |
| wind | wound | wound | Wrap (thread, rope, etc.) around itself or something else; turn the key or knob of (a clock or watch) to make it run. | B2 |
| alight | alit | alit | Descend from a train, bus, or other form of transport. | C1 |
| behold | beheld | beheld | See or observe (a thing or person, especially a remarkable or impressive one). | C1 |
| clothe | clad | clad | Put clothes on (oneself or someone); dress. | C1 |
| dwell | dwelt | dwelt | Live in or at a specified place. | C1 |
| flee | fled | fled | Run away from a place or situation of danger. | C1 |
| fling | flung | flung | Throw or hurl forcefully. | C1 |
| grind | ground | ground | Reduce (something) to small particles or powder by crushing it. | C1 |
| seek | sought | sought | Attempt to find (something). | C1 |
| slide | slid | slid | Move along a smooth surface while maintaining continuous contact with it. | C1 |
| speed | sped | sped | Move quickly. | C1 |
| spin | spun | spun | Turn or cause to turn or whirl around quickly. | C1 |
| strip | stripped | stripped | Remove all coverings from. | C1 |
| sweep | swept | swept | Clean (an area) by brushing away dirt or litter. | C1 |
| swing | swung | swung | Move or cause to move back and forth or from side to side while suspended or on an axis. | C1 |
| wring | wrung | wrung | Squeeze and twist (something) to force liquid from it. | C1 |
| bind | bound | bound | Tie or fasten (something) tightly. | C2 |
| chide | chid | chid or chidden | Scold or rebuke. | C2 |
| cleave | cleft or cleaved or clove | cleft or cleaved or cloven | Split or sever (something), especially along a natural line or grain. | C2 |
| cling | clung | clung | Hold on tightly to. | C2 |
| creep | crept | crept | Move slowly and carefully in order to avoid being heard or noticed. | C2 |
| leap | leapt | leapt | Jump or spring a long way, to a great height, or with great force. | C2 |
| plead | pled | pled | Make an emotional appeal. | C2 |
| rend | rent | rent | Tear (something) into two or more pieces. | C2 |
| shoe | shod or shoed | shod or shoed | Fit (a horse) with a shoe or shoes. | C2 |
| sling | slung | slung | Throw (something) carelessly or with force; hang (something) loosely from a strap or between two points. | C2 |
| slink | slunk | slunk | Move smoothly and quietly with gliding steps, in a stealthy or sensuous manner. | C2 |
| sneak | snuck | snuck | Move or go in a furtive or stealthy manner. | C2 |
| spit | spat | spat | Eject saliva forcibly from one's mouth, sometimes as a gesture of contempt or anger. | C2 |
| string | strung | strung | Hang (something) so that it stretches in a long line. | C2 |
| weep | wept | wept | Shed tears. | C2 |