The verb to dive · Conjugation
Past Simple of dive
The answer: dived (UK) / dove (US)
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to dive is dived (UK) / dove (US).
Example: She dived into the pool.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | dived / dove |
| You | dived / dove |
| He / She / It | dived / dove |
| We | dived / dove |
| You (pl.) | dived / dove |
| They | dived / dove |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Dived (UK) or dove (US)
In the UK, use the regular form dived. In the US, the irregular form dove is common. If you are not sure, dived works everywhere.
2. Dive is also a noun
A dive is: 1. a jump into water, head first; 2. a dirty, cheap café or bar (informal American English). What a dive! means what a horrible place!
3. Scuba diving = diving with an air tank
Scuba diving is diving deep with a tank of air. Free diving is diving on one breath, with no tank. Skin diving is swimming under the water with just a mask, maybe with fins.
Practice quiz
What's next?
Master the Past Simple of dive 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 dive on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersYour whole class practises the Past Simple of dive, 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 dive 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 dive?+
The Past Simple of dive is dived (UK, regular) or dove (US, irregular). The past participle is dived everywhere: diven does not exist in standard English. British English prefers dived, and American English uses both.
What is the difference between dived and dove?+
Dived is the regular form, standard in the UK. Dove is the irregular form, used mostly in the US. Both are correct. In British English, use dived. In American English, dove is very common.
Why do Americans say dove?+
English changes over time. In the US, dive probably took an irregular past form like drive → drove, so dive → dove. British English kept the regular form, dived.
What does dive in mean in English?+
Dive in has two meanings. 1. To jump into water: The water is warm, so dive in! 2. To start something quickly and with energy: Let's dive in! means let's start now!
Is diving a sport?+
Yes! Diving is the sport of jumping into water. Scuba diving is swimming under the water with a tank of air. A diving board is the board you jump from at a swimming pool.
Related pages: dive 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/dive/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 dive are coming soon.