Irregular verb
The verb to bring
bring → brought → brought
A2Meaning: to come with something or someone · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they bring·he/she/it brings - Past Simple:
brought(said /brɔːt/) - Past participle:
brought(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
bringing
Conjugation of the verb to bring
Present Simple
| I | bring |
| You | bring |
| He / She / It | brings |
| We | bring |
| You (pl.) | bring |
| They | bring |
Past Simple
| I | brought |
| You | brought |
| He / She / It | brought |
| We | brought |
| You (pl.) | brought |
| They | brought |
All the forms of the verb to bring
Present Simple
Full pagebring / brings
“I bring my lunch every day.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are bringing
“I am bringing a snack right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagebrought
“She brought a cake to the party.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were bringing
“I was bringing a snack when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has brought
“I have already brought a snack.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad brought
“She had already brought a snack when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill bring
“I will bring a snack tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to bring
“I'm going to bring a snack this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould bring
“I would bring a snack if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to bring
1. Bringing something (towards the speaker)
Use bring when something or someone comes towards you, or towards the place you are talking about.
- I brought a cake.
- Bring your friend.
2. Bring + person + thing
- She brought me flowers.
3. Phrasal verbs
Bring up means to look after a child until he or she is an adult, or to start talking about a subject. Bring back means to return something. Bring about means to make something happen.
- bring up
- bring back
- bring about
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Can you take me a glass of water? ❌
Bring = towards the speaker. Take = away from the speaker. Ask yourself: is the thing coming to me, or going away from me? Can you bring me a glass of water? (it comes to me). Take your coat when you leave (it goes away with you).
2. Brought said /braʊt/ ❌
Like bought, fought and thought, the gh is silent and ough sounds /ɔː/: brought /brɔːt/. Not /brʌt/ and not /braʊt/.
Going further
Conjugating to bring is a key skill in the English contest
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Related pages: bring
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of bring?+
The Past Simple of bring is brought (/brɔːt/). It is the same for every person. The past participle is also brought. Bring → brought → brought.
What is the difference between bring and take?+
Bring means to carry something towards the speaker, or towards the place you are talking about. Take means to carry something away from the speaker. Bring your umbrella to my house (it comes to me). Take your umbrella (it goes with you).
How do you use bring in a sentence?+
There are two patterns, and both are correct. Bring + person + thing: He brought me flowers. Bring + thing + to + person: He brought flowers to me.
Is it bringed or brought?+
Say brought. Bring is an irregular verb, so its Past Simple is brought, never bringed. Many beginners make this mistake.
What does bring up mean?+
Bring up has two common meanings. It can mean to look after a child until he or she is an adult: She brought up three children. It can also mean to start talking about a subject: Don't bring up that topic again!
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/bring
© 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.