Les verbes irréguliers
Les verbes irréguliers anglais sont des verbes qui ne suivent pas le schéma de conjugaison standard lors de la formation du prétérit (past simple) et du participe passé (past participle). Contrairement aux verbes réguliers qui ajoutent simplement "-ed" pour former ces temps (walk/walked/walked), les verbes irréguliers ont des formes uniques qui doivent être mémorisées (go/went/gone, see/saw/seen).
Il existe environ 200 verbes irréguliers en anglais, bien que seulement une cinquantaine soit couramment utilisée dans la conversation quotidienne. Ces verbes font partie des plus fréquemment employés dans la langue anglaise, ce qui rend leur apprentissage essentiel pour maîtriser la conjugaison anglaise. Le tableau ci-dessous présente une liste complète des verbes irréguliers avec leur forme de base, leur prétérit, leur participe passé et leur traduction.
| Infinitif | Prétérit | Participe Passé | Traduction française |
| awake | awoke | awoken | (se) réveiller |
| be | was/were | been | être |
| bear | bore | borne | supporter |
| beat | beat | beaten | battre |
| become | became | become | devenir |
| begin | began | begun | commencer |
| bend | bent | bent | (se) courber |
| bet | bet | bet | parier |
| bid | bid | bid | offrir (un prix) |
| bind | bound | bound | lier, relier |
| bite | bit | bitten | mordre |
| bleed | bled | bled | saigner |
| blow | blew | blown | souffler |
| break | broke | broken | casser |
| breed | bred | bred | élever (du bétail) |
| bring | brought | brought | apporter |
| build | built | built | construire |
| burn | burnt | burnt | brûler |
| burst | burst | burst | éclater |
| buy | bought | bought | acheter |
| cast | cast | cast | jeter |
| catch | caught | caught | attraper |
| choose | chose | chosen | choisir |
| cling | clung | clung | s'accrocher |
| come | came | come | venir |
| cost | cost | cost | coûter |
| creep | crept | crept | ramper |
| cut | cut | cut | couper |
| deal | dealt | dealt | distribuer |
| dig | dug | dug | creuser |
| do | did | done | faire |
| draw | drew | drawn | dessiner |
| dream | dreamt | dreamt | rêver |
| drink | drank | drunk | boire |
| drive | drove | driven | conduire |
| dwell | dwelt | dwelt | habiter |
| eat | ate | eaten | manger |
| fall | fell | fallen | tomber |
| feed | fed | fed | nourrir |
| feel | felt | felt | sentir, éprouver |
| fight | fought | fought | combattre |
| find | found | found | trouver |
| flee | fled | fled | s'enfuir |
| fling | flung | flung | jeter violemment |
| fly | flew | flown | voler |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden | interdire |
| forget | forgot | forgotten | oublier |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven | pardonner |
| freeze | froze | frozen | geler |
| get | got | got | obtenir |
| give | gave | given | donner |
| go | went | gone | aller |
| grind | ground | ground | moudre |
| grow | grew | grown | grandir |
| hang | hung | hung | pendre, accrocher |
| have | had | had | avoir |
| hear | heard | heard | entendre |
| hide | hid | hidden | (se) cacher |
| hit | hit | hit | frapper, atteindre |
| hold | held | held | tenir |
| hurt | hurt | hurt | blesser |
| keep | kept | kept | garder |
| kneel | knelt | knelt | s'agenouiller |
| know | knew | known | savoir, connaître |
| lay | laid | laid | poser à plat |
| lead | led | led | mener |
| lean | leant | leant | s'appuyer |
| leap | leapt | leapt | sauter |
| learn | learnt | learnt | apprendre |
| leave | left | left | laisser, quitter |
| lend | lent | lent | prêter |
| let | let | let | permettre, louer |
| lie | lay | lain | être étendu |
| light | lit | lit | allumer |
| lose | lost | lost | perdre |
| make | made | made | faire, fabriquer |
| mean | meant | meant | signifier |
| meet | met | met | (se) rencontrer |
| pay | paid | paid | payer |
| put | put | put | mettre |
| quit | quit | quit | cesser (de) |
| read | read | read | lire |
| rid | rid | rid | débarrasser |
| ride | rode | ridden | chevaucher |
| ring | rang | rung | sonner |
| rise | rose | risen | s'élever / se lever |
| run | ran | run | courir |
| saw | sawed | sawn | scier |
| say | said | said | dire |
| see | saw | seen | voir |
| seek | sought | sought | chercher |
| sell | sold | sold | vendre |
| send | sent | sent | envoyer |
| set | set | set | fixer |
| sew | sewed | sewn | coudre |
| shake | shook | shaken | secouer |
| shear | sheared | shorn | tondre (des moutons) |
| shed | shed | shed | verser (des larmes) |
| shine | shone | shone | briller |
| shoe | shod | shod | ferrer / chausser |
| shoot | shot | shot | tirer |
| show | showed | shown | montrer |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk | rétrécir |
| shut | shut | shut | fermer |
| sing | sang | sung | chanter |
| sink | sank | sunk | couler |
| sit | sat | sat | être assis |
| sleep | slept | slept | dormir |
| slide | slid | slid | glisser |
| sling | slung | slung | lancer (avec force) |
| slink | slunk | slunk | aller furtivement |
| slit | slit | slit | fendre / inciser |
| smell | smelt | smelt | sentir (odorat) |
| sow | sowed | sown | semer |
| speak | spoke | spoken | parler |
| speed | sped | sped | aller à toute vitesse |
| spell | spelt | spelt | épeler |
| spend | spent | spent | dépenser |
| spill | spilt | spilt | renverser (un liquide) |
| spit | spat | spat | cracher |
| split | split | split | fendre |
| spoil | spoilt | spoilt | gâcher, gâter |
| spread | spread | spread | répandre |
| spring | sprang | sprung | jaillir, bondir |
| stand | stood | stood | être debout |
| steal | stole | stolen | voler, dérober |
| stick | stuck | stuck | coller |
| sting | stung | stung | piquer |
| stink | stank | stunk | puer |
| stride | strode | stridden | marcher à grands pas |
| strike | struck | struck | frapper |
| string | strung | strung | enfiler, tendre (une corde) |
| strive | strove | striven | s'efforcer |
| swear | swore | sworn | jurer |
| sweep | swept | swept | balayer |
| swell | swelled | swollen | enfler |
| swim | swam | swum | nager |
| swing | swung | swung | se balancer |
| take | took | taken | prendre |
| teach | taught | taught | enseigner |
| tear | tore | torn | déchirer |
| tell | told | told | dire, raconter |
| think | thought | thought | penser |
| throw | threw | thrown | jeter |
| thrust | thrust | thrust | enfoncer |
| tread | trod | trodden | fouler aux pieds |
| understand | understood | understood | comprendre |
| wake | woke | woken | (se) réveiller |
| wear | wore | worn | porter (des vêtements) |
| weave | wove | woven | tisser |
| weep | wept | wept | pleurer |
| win | won | won | gagner |
| wind | wound | wound | enrouler |
| wring | wrung | wrung | tordre |
| write | wrote | written | écrire |