What's the past tense of "spring"?
The simple past tense of spring is sprang, and the past participle is sprung. Use sprang for simple past and sprung for past participle forms.
Definition of spring
The Oxford English Dictionary defines spring as "to move suddenly or quickly upward or forward; to leap or jump." It can also mean "to come into being or action; to arise or originate."
- The past tense of spring is sprang.
- The past participle of spring is sprung.
Verb forms of 'spring'
Is "spring" a regular or irregular verb?
Note: Regular verbs end in -ed in the past tense. Any other verb ending is considered irregular.
While an irregular verb, 'spring' follows a common pattern where the past tense and past participle are different forms. Similar to other verbs like sing/sang/sung, ring/rang/rung, and swim/swam/swum, spring uses different forms for past tense and past participle.
When to use "sprang" (past) vs. "sprung" (participle)
The cat sprang onto the table.
The trap had sprung shut.
The participle form of a verb (shown in the second sentence) uses the auxiliary verb had in the past perfect tense. When the past participle verb form is paired with the auxiliary had, this creates the past perfect tense. We write in the past perfect tense when actions or events from the past relate to another past event, as evidenced with the example sentence 'The trap had sprung shut'.
The verb spring uses different forms for simple past tense (sprang) and past participle (sprung). When used as a participle (shown in the second sentence), 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 sprang can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.
Similar irregular verbs
The verb spring follows a common irregular verb pattern where the past tense and past participle are different forms. Many irregular verbs in English show this pattern with different forms for past tense and past participle.
Sentence examples: spring, sprang, sprung
• The cat springs onto the sofa every morning.
• New flowers spring up in the garden each year.
• The team hopes to spring a surprise on their opponents.
• The cat sprang onto the table when it heard the noise.
• I sprang out of bed when the alarm went off.
• The ball sprang off the wall and hit the window.
• The trap has sprung shut.
• The athlete had sprung over the high jump bar with ease.
• The coil had sprung loose, causing the toy to malfunction.
Synonyms & nearby words
Synonyms for spring
Nearby phrases
Origin of the verb spring
Old English springan "to leap, burst forth, fly up; spread, grow," from Proto-Germanic *sprengan.
FAQs
What is the past tense of "spring"?
What is the past participle of "spring"?
Is "spring" a regular or irregular verb?
When do you use "sprang" vs "sprung"?
What are some common phrases with "spring"?
Sources
-
Oxford English Dictionary. "spring, v." OED Online. Oxford University Press. Date of access 15 Jan. 2025.
-
Cambridge Dictionary. "spring." Cambridge University Press. Date of access 15 Jan. 2025.
Advertisement
.webp&w=3840&q=75)
