Irregular verb
The verb to foresee
foresee → foresaw → foreseen
B2Meaning: to know that something will happen · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they foresee·he/she/it foresees - Past Simple:
foresaw(like see → saw) - Past participle:
foreseen - -ing form:
foreseeing
Conjugation of the verb to foresee
Present Simple
| I | foresee |
| You | foresee |
| He / She / It | foresees |
| We | foresee |
| You (pl.) | foresee |
| They | foresee |
Past Simple
| I | foresaw |
| You | foresaw |
| He / She / It | foresaw |
| We | foresaw |
| You (pl.) | foresaw |
| They | foresaw |
All the forms of the verb to foresee
Present Simple
Full pageforesee / foresees
“Experts foresee a recession.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are foreseeing
“I am foreseeing problems right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageforesaw
“No one foresaw the crisis.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were foreseeing
“I was foreseeing problems when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has foreseen
“I have already foreseen problems.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad foreseen
“She had already foreseen problems when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill foresee
“I will foresee problems tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to foresee
“I'm going to foresee problems this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould foresee
“I would foresee problems if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to foresee
1. Seeing something before it happens
- I foresee problems ahead.
2. Unforeseen
Unforeseen means not expected: nobody saw it coming.
- Unforeseen circumstances.
A common mistake
1. Foreseed ❌
Foresee follows see: foresee → foresaw → foreseen. No one foresaw the crisis.
What's next?
You can conjugate to foresee. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of foresee?+
Foresaw. The past participle is foreseen. Foresee = fore + see, so it follows see → saw → seen.
What does in the foreseeable future mean?+
In the foreseeable future means in the time that we can imagine now (the next months or years). Prices will not go down in the foreseeable future. You often hear it in business and politics.
What does unforeseen circumstances mean?+
Unforeseen circumstances are things that happen that nobody expected. Companies and organisers use this formal phrase to explain a delay or a cancellation: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the event is postponed.
What does foresight mean?+
Foresight is the ability to see what will happen and to prepare for it. He had the foresight to save money. The opposite idea is hindsight: understanding something only after it has happened.
Is it foresaw or foreseed?+
Say foresaw. Foresee = fore + see, and it follows see (irregular). Foreseed is a mistake. It is the same with foretell → foretold.
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/foresee
© 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.