The verb to burn · Conjugation
Past Simple of burn
The answer: burned (US) / burnt (UK)
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to burn is burned (US) / burnt (UK).
Example: The toast burned.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | burned / burnt |
| You | burned / burnt |
| He / She / It | burned / burnt |
| We | burned / burnt |
| You (pl.) | burned / burnt |
| They | burned / burnt |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Thinking burned or burnt is wrong ❌
Both forms are correct. The US prefers burned (regular). The UK often uses burnt.
2. Burnted ❌
As an adjective, use burnt: burnt toast, burnt out, a burnt offering. It is the most common form, especially in the UK; American English also says burned (burned out). Never add -ed to burnt: burnted does not exist.
3. He's a burned out ❌
To burn out = to become exhausted. Burnout (noun) = being exhausted from work. Burnt out (adjective) = exhausted, with no a: He's burnt out. Three forms, one idea.
Practice quiz
What's next?
Master the Past Simple of burn when you speak, not just on paper
The conjugation is clear in your head. On PLAY, you practise it in a game, with instant feedback, until it comes out on its own.
Practise the Past Simple of burn on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersYour whole class practises the Past Simple of burn, and you follow each student
The Academy has self-marking activities on this form, with a dashboard for each student: you see at a glance who is falling behind.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
English contestThe English contest tests the Past Simple of burn in real sentences
Instead of a single school exercise, your students meet this tense in context, in a contest that really motivates them.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of burn?+
There are two forms: burned (more common in the US) and burnt (more common in the UK). Both are correct. The past participle is the same. Burn → burned/burnt → burned/burnt.
Is burnt British or American?+
The US prefers burned (regular). The UK uses both, with a small preference for burnt. As an adjective (burnt toast, burnt out), burnt is the most common, but American English also says burned (burned out).
Can burnt be an adjective?+
Yes, very often: burnt toast, burnt out (exhausted), a burnt offering (a gift burnt for a god). As an adjective, burnt is the most common form; American English also says burned (burned out).
Is it didn't burn or didn't burned?+
Say didn't burn: The toast didn't burn. After didn't, the verb goes back to its base form (burn, not burned).
What does burned out mean?+
Burn out (verb) means to become exhausted (very, very tired) from work. Burnout (noun) is that state. Burnt out (adjective) means exhausted. He burned out at work.
Related pages: burn 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/burn/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.
Keep learning
More forms of the verb to burn are coming soon.