The Verb "Mean" in English

Conjugation of "To Mean"

The verb "mean" is an irregular verb. (This means that "mean" does not form its simple past tense or its past participle by adding "-ed" or "-d" to the base form.)

The Five Forms of "To Mean"

FormmeanAlternative Name
Base FormmeanInfinitive Form
The -S FormmeansThird Person Singular Form
Past FormmeantSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormmeaningPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formmeant[no alternative name]

"To Mean" in All the Tenses

The tables below show how "mean" conjugates in the past, present, and future tenses.

Past Tenses

PersonSimple PastPast Progressive TensePast Perfect TensePast Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • meant
  • meant
  • meant
  • meant
  • meant
  • meant
The simple past tense is for a completed activity that happened in the past.
  • was meaning
  • were meaning
  • was meaning
  • were meaning
  • were meaning
  • were meaning
The past progressive tense is for an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
  • had meant
  • had meant
  • had meant
  • had meant
  • had meant
  • had meant
The past perfect tense is for emphasizing that an action was completed before another took place.
  • had been meaning
  • had been meaning
  • had been meaning
  • had been meaning
  • had been meaning
  • had been meaning
The past perfect progressive tense is for showing that an ongoing action in the past has ended.

Present Tenses

PersonSimple PresentPresent Progressive TensePresent Perfect TensePresent Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • mean
  • mean
  • means
  • mean
  • mean
  • mean
The simple present tense is mostly for a fact or a habit.
  • am meaning
  • are meaning
  • is meaning
  • are meaning
  • are meaning
  • are meaning
The present progressive tense is for an ongoing action in the present.
  • have meant
  • have meant
  • has meant
  • have meant
  • have meant
  • have meant
The present perfect tense is for an action that began in the past. (Often, the action continues into the present.)
  • have been meaning
  • have been meaning
  • has been meaning
  • have been meaning
  • have been meaning
  • have been meaning
The present perfect progressive tense is for a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present (or finished very recently).

Future Tenses

PersonSimple FutureFuture Progressive TenseFuture Perfect TenseFuture Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • will mean
  • will mean
  • will mean
  • will mean
  • will mean
  • will mean
The simple future tense is for an action that will occur in the future.
  • will be meaning
  • will be meaning
  • will be meaning
  • will be meaning
  • will be meaning
  • will be meaning
The future progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
  • will have meant
  • will have meant
  • will have meant
  • will have meant
  • will have meant
  • will have meant
The future perfect tense is for an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
  • will have been meaning
  • will have been meaning
  • will have been meaning
  • will have been meaning
  • will have been meaning
  • will have been meaning
The future perfect progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.

Most Common Irregular Verbs

The two most common irregular verbs in English are "be" and "have." These pages give more details about these two verbs: Here are the next 10 most common irregular verbs in English:

Most Common Irregular Verbs

The two most common irregular verbs in English are "be" and "have." These pages give more details about these two verbs: Here are the next 10 most common irregular verbs in English:
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This page was written by Craig Shrives.