What's the past tense of "swim"?
The simple past tense of swim is swam, and the past participle is swum. Use swam for simple past and swum with auxiliary verbs like "have" or "had".
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I swam in the ocean yesterday.
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She has swum across the lake many times.
Verb forms of 'swim'
I/you/they swim • He/she/it swims
I/you/they swam • He/she/it swam
I/you/they will swim • He/she/it will swim
I am/you are swimming • He/she/it is swimming
I was/you were swimming • He/she/it was swimming
I/you will be swimming • He/she/it will be swimming
I/you have swum • He/she/it has swum
I/you had swum • He/she/it had swum
I/you will have swum • He/she/it will have swum
Similar irregular verbs
swim
Past:
swam
Past part:
swum
sing
Past:
sang
Past part:
sung
ring
Past:
rang
Past part:
rung
drink
Past:
drank
Past part:
drunk
When to use swam vs. swum
I swam in the ocean yesterday.
She has swum across the lake many times.
Use swam for the simple past tense and swum as the past participle with auxiliary verbs like "have," "has," or "had".
Sentence examples: swim, swam, swum
Swim (present tense)
Examples:
• I swim in the pool every morning.
• She swims very well.
• They are swimming in the ocean.
Swam (past simple)
Examples:
• I swam in the ocean yesterday.
• He swam across the lake.
Swum (past participle)
Examples:
• She has swum across the lake many times.
• They had swum in that pool before.
Synonyms for "swim"
Synonyms: paddle, stroke, float, dive, splash, wade, bathe, plunge, submerge, navigate
Phrases/idioms with "swim"
sink or swim
To succeed or fail quickly at something.
to be in the swim of things
To be involved/knowledgeable on something.
faster than a minnow can swim a dipper
To do something extremely quickly.
to swim against the current
To go against the norm or conventions.
to swim with the tide or stream
To go along with prevailing attitudes and sentiments.
FAQs
What's the past tense of swim?
The simple past tense of "swim" is "swam." For example, "Yesterday, I swam in the pool." The past participle is "swum," used with auxiliary verbs like "have" or "had."
When do I use "swam" vs "swum"?
Use "swam" for the simple past tense (e.g., "I swam yesterday"). Use "swum" as the past participle with auxiliary verbs (e.g., "I have swum" or "I had swum").
Can "swum" be used alone?
No, "swum" is a past participle and cannot stand alone as the main verb in a sentence. It requires an auxiliary or helping verb (like 'have' or 'had') to function correctly.
What form of swim do I use after "have"?
After auxiliary verbs like "have," you use the past participle form, which is "swum." For example, "I have swum in that pool before" shows this usage in the perfect tense.
Sources
- Oxford English Dictionary - "swim" verb forms
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary - Irregular verb "swim"
- Cambridge Dictionary - Past tense of "swim"
- Grammar reference - Standard usage of "swam" vs "swum"
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