The verb to bite · Conjugation
Past Simple of bite
The answer: bit
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to bite is bit.
Example: The dog bit the postman yesterday.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | bit |
| You | bit |
| He / She / It | bit |
| We | bit |
| You (pl.) | bit |
| They | bit |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I have been bit ❌
In the Past Simple: bit. With have, has, had or in the passive: bitten. I bit my tongue. ✓ I have been bitten. ✓
2. Bited ❌
Bite is irregular, so no -ed. Past Simple = bit, past participle = bitten.
3. Biteing ❌
For the -ing form, drop the final e of bite → biting. It is the same with write → writing.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of bite?+
The Past Simple of bite is bit (short, the same for every person). The past participle is different: bitten. Bite → bit → bitten.
Is it bit or bitten in the past simple?+
In the Past Simple, use bit: The dog bit the postman. Use bitten only after an auxiliary (a helping verb like have, had or be): I have been bitten.
Is it didn't bite or didn't bit?+
Say didn't bite: The dog didn't bite me. After didn't, use the base form → bite.
What does bite the bullet mean?+
Bite the bullet is an idiom: it means to accept a difficult situation and do the hard thing. It probably comes from war: soldiers bit on a bullet to help them with the pain.
Why not bited?+
Bite is irregular. Past Simple = bit, past participle = bitten. Bited does not exist in English.
Related pages: bite Past Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
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/bite/past-simple
© 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.
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