Verbes irréguliers anglais

Le prétérit et le participe passé anglais se forment pour la majorité des verbes avec la base verbale suivie du suffixe -ed. Par exemple to start, started (prétérit), started (participe passé).

Quelques verbes irréguliers échappent cependant à cette règle générale et possèdent leurs propres formes de conjugaison qu'il est nécessaire de connaître par cœur.

Le tableau ci-dessous liste les verbes irréguliers les plus courants :

Infinitif Prétérit Part. Passé Traduction française
to abide abode abode demeurer
to arise arose arisen (se) lever
to awake awoke awoken (se) réveiller
to be was/were been être
to bear bore born, borne supporter
to beat beat beaten battre
to become became become devenir
to befall befell befallen arriver à
to beget begot begotten engendrer
to begin began begun commencer
to behold beheld beheld contempler
to bend bent bent (se) courber
to bereave bereft bereft priver
to beseech besought besought supplier
to bespeak bespoke bespoken commander, retenir
to bet bet bet parier
to bid bid bid offrir (un prix), ordonner
to bind bound bound lier, relier
to bite bit bitten mordre
to bleed bled bled saigner
to blow blew blown souffler
to break broke broken casser
to breed bred bred élever (du bétail)
to bring brought brought apporter
to broadcast broadcast broadcast diffuser (une émission)
to build built built construire
to burn burnt burnt brûler
to burst burst burst éclater
to buy bought bought acheter
to cast cast cast jeter
to catch caught caught attraper
to chide chid chidden gronder
to choose chose chosen choisir
to cleave clove, cleft cloven, cleft fendre
to cling clung clung s'accrocher
to clothe clad clad vêtir
to come came come venir
to cost cost cost coûter
to creep crept crept ramper
to crow crew crowed chanter (coq)
to cut cut cut couper
to dare dared, durst dared oser
to deal dealt dealt distribuer
to dig dug dug creuser
to dive dove dived plonger
to do did done faire
to draw drew drawn dessiner
to dream dreamt dreamt rêver
to drink drank drunk boire
to drive drove driven conduire
to dwell dwelt dwelt habiter
to eat ate eaten manger
to fall fell fallen tomber
to feed fed fed nourrir
to feel felt felt sentir, éprouver
to fight fought fought combattre
to find found found trouver
to flee fled fled s'enfuir
to fling flung flung jeter violemment
to fly flew flown voler
to forbear forbore forborne s'abstenir
to forbid forbade forbidden interdire
to forecast forecast forecast prédire
to forget forgot forgotten oublier
to forgive forgave forgiven pardonner
to forsake forsook forsaken abandonner
to freeze froze frozen geler
to get got got, (gotten usa) obtenir
to gild gilt gilt dorer
to gird girt girt ceindre
to give gave given donner
to go went gone aller
to grind ground ground moudre
to grow grew grown grandir
to hang hanged hanged pendre (supplice)
to hang hung hung suspendre, accrocher
to have had had avoir
to hear heard heard entendre
to heave hove hove se soulever
to hew hewed hewn tailler
to hide hid hid, hidden (se) cacher
to hit hit hit frapper, atteindre
to hold held held tenir
to hurt hurt hurt blesser
to keep kept kept garder
to kneel knelt knelt s'agenouiller
to knit knit knit tricoter
to know knew known savoir, connaître
to lade laded laden charger
to lay laid laid poser à plat
to lead led led mener
to lean leant leant s'appuyer, se pencher
to leap leapt leapt sauter
to learn learnt learnt apprendre
to leave left left laisser, quitter
to lend lent lent prêter
to let let let permettre, louer
to lie lay lain être étendu
to light lit lit allumer
to lose lost lost perdre
to make made made faire, fabriquer
to mean meant meant signifier
to meet met met (se) rencontrer
to melt melted melted, molten fondre
to mistake mistook mistaken se tromper
to mow mowed mown faucher
to pay paid paid payer
to put put put mettre
to quit quit quit cesser (de), quitter
to read read read lire
to rend rent rent déchirer
to rid rid rid débarrasser
to ride rode ridden chevaucher
to ring rang rung sonner
to rise rose risen s'élever, se lever
to run ran run courir
to saw sawed sawn scier
to say said said dire
to see saw seen voir
to seek sought sought chercher
to seethe sod sodden bouillir
to sell sold sold vendre
to send sent sent envoyer
to set set set fixer
to sew sewed sewn coudre
to shake shook shaken secouer
to shear sheared shorn tondre (des moutons)
to shed shed shed verser (des larmes)
to shine shone shone briller
to shoe shod shod ferrer, chausser
to shoot shot shot tirer
to show showed shown montrer
to shred shred shred lacérer
to shrink shrank shrunk rétrécir
to shrive shrove shriven confesser
to shut shut shut fermer
to sing sang sung chanter
to sink sank sunk couler
to sit sat sat être assis
to slay slew slain massacrer
to sleep slept slept dormir
to slide slid slid glisser
to sling slung slung lancer (avec force)
to slink slunk slunk aller furtivement
to slit slit slit fendre, inciser
to smell smelt smelt sentir (odorat)
to smite smote smitten frapper
to sow sowed sown semer
to speak spoke spoken parler
to speed sped sped aller à toute vitesse
to spell spelt spelt épeler
to spend spent spent dépenser
to spill spilt spilt renverser, répandre
to spin spun, span spun filer, tourner
to spit spat, spit spat, spit cracher
to split split split fendre (en éclat)
to spoil spoilt spoilt gâcher, gâter
to spread spread spread répandre
to spring sprang sprung s'élancer, bondir
to stand stood stood être debout
to steal stole stolen voler, dérober
to stick stuck stuck coller
to sting stung stung piquer
to stink stank stunk puer
to strew strewed strewn joncher
to stride strode stridden marcher à grands pas
to strike struck struck frapper
to string strung strung enfiler, tendre (une corde)
to strive strove striven s'efforcer
to swear swore sworn jurer
to sweat sweat sweat suer
to sweep swept swept balayer
to swell swelled swollen enfler
to swim swam swum nager
to swing swung swung se balancer
to take took taken prendre
to teach taught taught enseigner
to tear tore torn déchirer
to tell told told dire, raconter
to think thought thought penser
to thrive throve thriven prospérer
to throw threw thrown jeter
to thrust thrust thrust enfoncer
to tread trod trodden fouler aux pieds
to understand understood understood comprendre
to undo undid undone défaire
to upset upset upset renverser
to wake woke woken (se) réveiller
to wear wore worn porter (des vêtements)
to weave wove woven tisser
to weep wept wept pleurer
to win won won gagner
to wind wound wound enrouler
to withdraw withdrew withdrawn retirer
to withstand withstood withstood résister à
to work worked, wrought worked, wrought travailler
to wring wrung wrung tordre
to write wrote written écrire

Le saviez-vous ?

La vanille est la seule orchidée dont le fruit est comestible. C'est un jeune esclave de l'île de la Réunion qui mit au point, en 1841, une méthode de pollinisation permettant d'obtenir artificiellement les fameuses gousses de vanille.