Irregular verb
The verb to overtake
overtake → overtook → overtaken
B2Meaning: to go past a slower car; to become bigger than · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they overtake - Past Simple:
overtook(like take → took) - Past participle:
overtaken - -ing form:
overtaking
Conjugation of the verb to overtake
Present Simple
| I | overtake |
| You | overtake |
| He / She / It | overtakes |
| We | overtake |
| You (pl.) | overtake |
| They | overtake |
Past Simple
| I | overtook |
| You | overtook |
| He / She / It | overtook |
| We | overtook |
| You (pl.) | overtook |
| They | overtook |
All the forms of the verb to overtake
Present Simple
Full pageovertake / overtakes
“He overtakes the car.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are overtaking
“I am overtaking the bus right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageovertook
“The Ferrari overtook the Toyota.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were overtaking
“I was overtaking the bus when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has overtaken
“I have already overtaken the bus.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad overtaken
“She had already overtaken the bus when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill overtake
“I will overtake the bus tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to overtake
“I'm going to overtake the bus this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould overtake
“I would overtake the bus if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to overtake
1. Overtaking a car
- No overtaking here!
2. Becoming bigger (figurative meaning)
Overtake also means to become bigger or more important than something else.
- Online sales overtook shop sales.
A common mistake
1. Overtaked ❌
Overtake works like take: overtook in the Past Simple, overtaken as the past participle. A car overtook us.
What's next?
You can conjugate to overtake. Now say it out loud.
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Related pages: overtake
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of overtake?+
The Past Simple of overtake is overtook, and the past participle is overtaken. It works like take → took → taken, because overtake = over + take. Other verbs made with take do the same.
Is it overtake or pass?+
To go past a slower car, say overtake in the UK and pass in the US. A No overtaking sign (UK) means you must not go past other cars here. It is a difference in road vocabulary.
What does overtake mean in business?+
Overtake can also mean to become bigger or better than something: numbers, sales, results. Sales have overtaken last year's means sales are now higher than last year.
What does overtaken by events mean?+
Overtaken by events is an idiom. It means that things changed so fast that a plan or an idea is no longer useful. The project was overtaken by events.
Is it overtaked or overtook?+
Say overtook. Overtake = over + take, so it follows take (irregular). Never overtaked. Other examples: mistake → mistook, undertake → undertook, retake → retook.
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/overtake
© 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.