Irregular verb
The verb to shake
shake → shook → shaken
B1Meaning: to move quickly up and down or from side to side · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 100 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they shake·he/she/it shakes - Past Simple:
shook - Past participle:
shaken(different from the Past Simple) - -ing form:
shaking
Conjugation of the verb to shake
Present Simple
| I | shake |
| You | shake |
| He / She / It | shakes |
| We | shake |
| You (pl.) | shake |
| They | shake |
Past Simple
| I | shook |
| You | shook |
| He / She / It | shook |
| We | shook |
| You (pl.) | shook |
| They | shook |
All the forms of the verb to shake
Present Simple
Full pageshake / shakes
“He shakes my hand.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are shaking
“I am shaking the bottle right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageshook
“He shook my hand.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were shaking
“I was shaking the bottle when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has shaken
“I have already shaken the bottle.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad shaken
“She had already shaken the bottle when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill shake
“I will shake the bottle tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to shake
“I'm going to shake the bottle this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould shake
“I would shake the bottle if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to shake
1. Shaking something
- Shake the bottle before drinking.
- She shook her head.
2. Trembling
Here, shake means that your body moves a little and you cannot stop it, because of cold, fear or emotion.
- My hands were shaking.
- He was shaking with fear.
3. Shaking hands
Shake hands (with someone): take someone's hand and move it up and down, to say hello or to agree.
- They shook hands.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. He shook his head to say yes ❌
When you shake your head (from side to side), you mean no. To say yes, you nod (up and down). She nodded and smiled.
2. Milkshake
A milkshake is a cold drink made with milk that is shaken or mixed. The word comes from milk + shake.
What's next?
You can conjugate to shake. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of shake?+
The Past Simple of shake is shook. The past participle is shaken. Shake → shook → shaken.
How do you use shake hands?+
Say shake hands, always with hands in the plural: it is a fixed expression. We shook hands. They shook hands with the president.
What does shake your head mean?+
When you shake your head, you move it from side to side to say no, or to show that you don't agree. She shook her head sadly. To say yes, you nod: you move your head up and down.
What does I'm shaken mean?+
I'm shaken means I am upset and a little scared after something bad. He was shaken by the news means the news gave him a shock.
Is it shook or shaked?+
Always shook. Shake is irregular: its Past Simple is shook and its past participle is shaken. Never shaked.
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/shake
© 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.