How to Use Make or Made (Irregular English Verbs)

What's the past tense of "make"?

The simple past tense of make is made, and the past participle is also made. Use made for both simple past and past participle forms.

Definition of make

The Oxford English Dictionary defines make as "to create or prepare something by combining materials or putting parts together." It's used in various contexts, from physical creation to abstract concepts like decisions or arrangements.

The past tense of make is made.

The past participle of make is made.

Verb forms of 'make'

Simple Cont. Perfect Perfect Cont.

Present

I/you/they make • He/she/it makes

Past

I/you/they made • He/she/it made

Future

I/you/they will make • He/she/it will make

Present

I am/you are making • He/she/it is making

Past

I was/you were making • He/she/it was making

Future

I/you will be making • He/she/it will be making

Present

I/you have made • He/she/it has made

Past

I/you had made • He/she/it had made

Future

I/you will have made • He/she/it will have made

Present

I have been making • He/she/it has been making

Past

I had been making • He/she/it had been making

Future

I will have been making • He/she/it will have been making

Is 'make' a regular or irregular verb?

Irregular — make is an irregular verb. It doesn't follow the standard pattern of adding -ed to form the past tense. Instead, it changes to made for both the past tense and past participle.

Similar irregular verbs

take → took, taken

give → gave, given

come → came, come

see → saw, seen

When to use make vs. made

Use make for:

Present tense: "I make coffee every morning."

Future tense: "I will make dinner tonight."

Use made for:

Past tense: "I made coffee yesterday."

Past participle: "I have made coffee before."

Remember: Made is used for both the simple past tense and the past participle form. This is common with irregular verbs that have the same form for both past tense and past participle.

Sentence examples

Present tense

I make breakfast every day.

She makes beautiful pottery.

Past tense

I made breakfast yesterday.

She made beautiful pottery last week.

Past participle

I have made breakfast before.

She has made beautiful pottery for years.

Note: Use present or past perfect with the past participle.

Synonyms & nearby words

create build construct produce manufacture craft form prepare arrange establish

Origin of the verb make

The verb make comes from Old English macian, meaning "to construct, form, or prepare." It's related to the German machen and Dutch maken, all sharing the same Germanic root meaning "to do" or "to create."

Practice: Forms of 'Make'

Question 1: What is the past tense of "make"?

Question 2: What is the past participle of "make"?

Question 3: Which sentence is correct?

FAQs

Is "make" a regular or irregular verb?

Make is an irregular verb. It doesn't follow the standard pattern of adding -ed to form the past tense. Instead, it changes to made for both the past tense and past participle.

What is the past tense of "make"?

The past tense of make is made. This is the same form used for the past participle.

How do you use "made" in a sentence?

Use made for both the simple past tense ("I made coffee") and the past participle ("I have made coffee"). It's the same form for both uses.

What is the difference between "make" and "made"?

Make is used for present and future tenses, while made is used for past tense and past participle forms. Both refer to the same action of creating or preparing something.