Phrase
past tense
/pɑːst tens/
noun
过去式；过去时
The verb form used to describe an action or state that happened or existed before the present time; in English, often formed by adding -ed.
- 1.
A grammatical form (often a verb form) that refers to an event, transaction, occurrence, or object that happened (or had happened), or existed, at some time before now (the applicable reference time).
一种语法形式(通常是动词形式),指代在现在之前某个时间发生或存在的事件、交易、情况或对象
一种语法形式(通常是动词形式),指代在现在之前某个时间发生或存在的事件、交易、情况或对象；过去式
In use
When I wrote my diary last night, I used the past tense to describe my day.
She finds the past tense difficult because many verbs are irregular.
Please change these sentences from the present tense to the past tense.
in the past tense
The story is written in the past tense.
这个故事是用过去式写的。
use the past tense
You should use the past tense for this verb.
这个动词应该用过去式。
change to the past tense
Change the verb to the past tense.
Connections
Confusing words
- past participle
- 过去分词 · 过去式表时态，过去分词表被动或完成，两者形式有时相同但句法功能不同
- present perfect
- 现在完成时 · 过去式强调过去发生的动作，现在完成时强调对现在的影响或持续
- past perfect
- 过去完成时 · 过去式表示过去某个时间发生的动作，过去完成时表示过去某个时间之前已完成的动作
Word family
- past tenses
- plural, third person singular
- past tensed
- past, past participle
- past tensing
- present participle
Learner notes
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.