Irregular verb
The verb to burn
burn → burned/burnt → burned/burnt
B1Meaning: to be on fire; to hurt with fire or heat · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 100 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they burn·he/she/it burns - Past Simple:
burned(US) orburnt(UK) - Past participle:
burned(US) orburnt(UK) - -ing form:
burning
Conjugation of the verb to burn
Present Simple
| I | burn |
| You | burn |
| He / She / It | burns |
| We | burn |
| You (pl.) | burn |
| They | burn |
Past Simple
| I | burned / burnt |
| You | burned / burnt |
| He / She / It | burned / burnt |
| We | burned / burnt |
| You (pl.) | burned / burnt |
| They | burned / burnt |
All the forms of the verb to burn
Present Simple
Full pageburn / burns
“Wood burns easily.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are burning
“I am burning the toast right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageburned (US) / burnt (UK)
“The toast burned.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were burning
“I was burning the toast when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has burned
“I have already burned the toast.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad burned
“She had already burned the toast when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill burn
“I will burn the toast tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to burn
“I'm going to burn the toast this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould burn
“I would burn the toast if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to burn
1. Burning in a fire
Burn down means to burn completely, until nothing is left.
- The house burned down.
- Wood burns easily.
2. Burning yourself
Burning hot means very, very hot.
- I burnt my hand.
- Be careful, the soup is burning hot.
3. Burning out
Burn out means to become exhausted (very, very tired) after too much work.
- She burned out after years of work.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Thinking burnt is a mistake ❌
Burn has two correct past forms, like learned/learnt, smelled/smelt, spelled/spelt and dreamed/dreamt. British English often uses -t; American English prefers -ed.
2. Sun burn ❌
Sunburn is one word. It means red, painful skin after too much sun: I got sunburn on the beach. (In the US: a sunburn.)
What's next?
You can conjugate to burn. Now say it out loud.
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Related pages: burn
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of burn?+
There are two correct forms: burned (US, regular) and burnt (UK, irregular). The past participle is the same. Burn → burned/burnt → burned/burnt. Both are correct: it depends on the region.
Is it burned or burnt?+
Burned is the regular form. It is more common in the US and in formal English. Burnt is the irregular form, more common in the UK. As an adjective (burnt toast, burnt out), burnt is the most common, especially in the UK. American English also says burned (burned toast, burned out).
What does burn out mean?+
Burn out (verb) means to become exhausted (very, very tired) from too much work. Burnout (noun) is that state. Burnt out (adjective) means exhausted. She burned out. She is suffering from burnout. She's burnt out.
What is sunburn?+
Sunburn is red, painful skin after too much sun. It is one word. I got sunburn (UK) or I got a sunburn (US). I'm sunburnt means the sun has burnt my skin.
What is the difference between burn and set on fire?+
Burn works with or without an object: The house burned. He burned the old letters. Set on fire means to make something start burning, often on purpose: They set the house on fire.
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/burn
© 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.