How to Use Hit in the Past Tense? Hit or Hitted*?

What's the past tense of "hit"?

The simple past tense of hit is hit, and the past participle is also hit. The form "hitted" is incorrect. This irregular verb maintains the same form across all tenses.

Definition of hit

The verb hit, as described by Oxford Dictionary: "To bring your hand, or an object you are holding, against something quickly and with force: she hit him on the head with a book." Also, "To reach a place or achieve a result: the bullet hit its target."

• The past tense of hit is hit.
• The past participle of hit is hit.

Verb forms of 'hit'

Is "hit" a regular or irregular verb?

Hit is an irregular verb that maintains the same form for all tenses. Both the simple past tense and past participle are hit, which makes it one of the few verbs in English with identical present, past, and past participle forms.

When to use hit

The ball hit the window yesterday. (simple past)

The ball has hit the window. (present or past perfect)

The verb hit uses the same form for both simple past tense and present or past perfect), it requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so hit can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.

Similar irregular verbs

Other irregular verbs that maintain the same form across all tenses include:

Sentence examples: hit, hit, hit

Synonyms & nearby words

FAQs

Sources

1. "Hit, V." Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, March 2025.