Irregular verb
The verb to mean
mean → meant → meant
A2Meaning: to have a meaning; to want or plan to do · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they mean·he/she/it means - Past Simple:
meant(said /ment/) - Past participle:
meant(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
meaning
Conjugation of the verb to mean
Present Simple
| I | mean |
| You | mean |
| He / She / It | means |
| We | mean |
| You (pl.) | mean |
| They | mean |
Past Simple
| I | meant |
| You | meant |
| He / She / It | meant |
| We | meant |
| You (pl.) | meant |
| They | meant |
All the forms of the verb to mean
Present Simple
Full pagemean / means
“What does it mean?”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are meaning
“I mean it (not I am meaning it).”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagemeant
“I didn't mean to be rude.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were meaning
“I meant it (not I was meaning it).”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has meant
“I have always meant it.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad meant
“I had never meant it before that day.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill mean
“I will mean it tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to mean
“I'm going to mean it this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould mean
“I would mean it if I said it.”
See the pageHow to use to mean
1. Having a meaning
- What does this word mean?
- It means "to make".
2. Planning to do something
Mean to + verb = to plan or want to do something. I didn't mean to = it was an accident.
- I didn't mean to hurt you.
- I meant to call you.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Saying meant /miːnt/ ❌
Meant is not mean + t with the same vowel. The vowel changes: mean /miːn/ → meant /ment/.
2. I didn't mean to
A very useful way to say sorry: I didn't mean to = I did not want to do it, it was an accident. Sorry, I didn't mean to break your pen.
Going further
Conjugating to mean 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.
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Practise on PLAYYou can conjugate to mean. Now say it out loud.
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For teachersReady-made activities to practise to mean in class
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Related pages: mean
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of mean?+
The Past Simple of mean is meant (said /ment/), the same for every person. The past participle is also meant. Mean → meant → meant.
How do you pronounce meant?+
Meant is /ment/, and it rhymes with bent. The letters ea sound like the e in bed, not like the long sound in mean /miːn/.
How do you ask what a word means?+
Ask What does … mean?: What does this word mean? With a plural subject, use do: What do these words mean? Notice that mean stays in its base form after does.
What does I didn't mean to mean?+
I didn't mean to means I did not want to do it: it was an accident. People say it to say sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. It means you did not want to hurt the person.
Is it meant or meaned?+
Always meant. Mean is irregular, like keep → kept and dream → dreamt. Meaned does not exist.
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/mean
© 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.