Irregular verb
The verb to behold
behold → beheld → beheld
B2Meaning: to look at or see something (literary) · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they behold - Past Simple:
beheld(like hold → held) - Past participle:
beheld - -ing form:
beholding
Conjugation of the verb to behold
Present Simple
| I | behold |
| You | behold |
| He / She / It | beholds |
| We | behold |
| You (pl.) | behold |
| They | behold |
Past Simple
| I | beheld |
| You | beheld |
| He / She / It | beheld |
| We | beheld |
| You (pl.) | beheld |
| They | beheld |
All the forms of the verb to behold
Present Simple
Full pagebehold / beholds
“Behold the king!”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are beholding
“I am beholding the view right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagebeheld
“They beheld the wonder.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were beholding
“I was beholding the view when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has beheld
“I have already beheld the view.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad beheld
“She had already beheld the view when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill behold
“I will behold the view tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to behold
“I'm going to behold the view this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould behold
“I would behold the view if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to behold
1. Looking at something (literary)
- They beheld the mountain.
2. Behold! (exclamation)
Behold! means look! It is dramatic and old-fashioned.
- Behold, our king!
A common mistake
1. I have beholden ❌
The past participle of behold is beheld: They have beheld the sea. Beholden is an adjective: it means you owe someone something. I'm beholden to you.
What's next?
You can conjugate to behold. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of behold?+
Beheld. It works like hold → held (behold = be + hold). Behold → beheld → beheld.
What does behold mean?+
Behold! (an exclamation) means look! here it is! It sounds very dramatic and old-fashioned. You find it in religious texts, in poetry and in the theatre: Behold, the king arrives!
What does beauty is in the eye of the beholder mean?+
This proverb means that beauty is personal: different people find different things beautiful. The beholder is the person who looks.
What is the difference between behold and see?+
See is the normal, everyday word. Behold means to look at something special; it is very literary, from old texts and the theatre. When you speak, always use see: behold is rare.
What does beholden mean?+
Beholden (adjective) means that you owe someone something, because they helped you. I'm beholden to you = I owe you a lot. To be beholden to someone is formal vocabulary.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/behold
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.