Irregular verb
The verb to forgive
forgive → forgave → forgiven
B1Meaning: to stop being angry with someone · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 100 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they forgive·he/she/it forgives - Past Simple:
forgave(like give → gave) - Past participle:
forgiven - -ing form:
forgiving
Conjugation of the verb to forgive
Present Simple
| I | forgive |
| You | forgive |
| He / She / It | forgives |
| We | forgive |
| You (pl.) | forgive |
| They | forgive |
Past Simple
| I | forgave |
| You | forgave |
| He / She / It | forgave |
| We | forgave |
| You (pl.) | forgave |
| They | forgave |
All the forms of the verb to forgive
Present Simple
Full pageforgive / forgives
“I forgive you.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are forgiving
“I am forgiving him right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageforgave
“She forgave him.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were forgiving
“I was forgiving him when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has forgiven
“I have already forgiven him.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad forgiven
“She had already forgiven him when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill forgive
“I will forgive him tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to forgive
“I'm going to forgive him this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould forgive
“I would forgive him if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to forgive
1. Forgiving someone
- I forgive you.
2. Forgive and forget
Forgive and forget means to forgive someone and stop thinking about what happened.
- Let's forgive and forget.
A common mistake
1. I forgave to him ❌
Forgive takes the person directly, with no preposition: I forgave him. The reason goes after for: I forgave him for the mistake.
What's next?
You can conjugate to forgive. Now say it out loud.
This page explained everything. On PLAY, you practise this verb out loud in 3 minutes, until it comes naturally.
Practise to forgive on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersReady-made activities to practise to forgive in class
The Academy offers self-marking exercises and progress tracking for each student: your class practises, and you see who has got it and who needs more help.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
English contestConjugating to forgive is a key skill in the English contest
Every year, the Big Challenge tests the key English verbs. Register your students so they can check their level in a real contest.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Related pages: forgive
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of forgive?+
The Past Simple of forgive is forgave. The past participle is forgiven. Forgive → forgave → forgiven. It follows give → gave → given, because forgive = for + give.
Is it forgive me or pardon me?+
Forgive me is serious: you ask someone to stop being angry with you. Pardon me is light, like a polite “sorry” (more common in the US). Excuse me is the everyday phrase for most situations. I beg your pardon is very formal, and sometimes ironic.
What does forgive and forget mean?+
Forgive and forget is an idiom: it means to forgive someone and stop thinking about what they did. You don't stay angry, and you move on.
What is the difference between forgive and excuse?+
Forgive is for a serious mistake, something that hurt you. Excuse is for a small mistake, like being late. Compare Please forgive my anger (a real apology) and Please excuse my lateness (a small apology).
What does forgiveness mean?+
Forgiveness (noun) is the act of forgiving. Ask for forgiveness means to ask someone to forgive you. Grant forgiveness is a formal way to say forgive. You find these words when people talk about religion and feelings.
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/forgive
© 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.