Irregular verb
The verb to sink
sink → sank → sunk
B2Meaning: to go down under water; to make something go down · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they sink·he/she/it sinks - Past Simple:
sank - Past participle:
sunk(different from the Past Simple) - -ing form:
sinking
Conjugation of the verb to sink
Present Simple
| I | sink |
| You | sink |
| He / She / It | sinks |
| We | sink |
| You (pl.) | sink |
| They | sink |
Past Simple
| I | sank |
| You | sank |
| He / She / It | sank |
| We | sank |
| You (pl.) | sank |
| They | sank |
All the forms of the verb to sink
Present Simple
Full pagesink / sinks
“The boat sinks slowly.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are sinking
“I am sinking to the bottom of the pool right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagesank
“The Titanic sank in 1912.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were sinking
“I was sinking to the bottom of the pool when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has sunk
“I have already sunk to the bottom of the pool.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad sunk
“She had already sunk to the bottom of the pool when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill sink
“I will sink to the bottom of the pool tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to sink
“I'm going to sink to the bottom of the pool this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould sink
“I would sink to the bottom of the pool if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to sink
1. Going down under water
- The boat sank.
- Stones sink in water.
2. Feeling sad or worried (figurative)
My heart sank means I suddenly felt sad or worried.
- My heart sank when I heard the news.
3. Making something sink
- They sank the enemy ship.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Sink ≠ think
Be careful with the th sound. Think /θɪŋk/ starts with your tongue between your teeth. Sink /sɪŋk/ starts with an s. The past forms are very different too: think → thought, sink → sank → sunk.
2. Sink in = to understand
Sink in (figurative) means to understand something fully, after some time. It took a while for the news to sink in.
What's next?
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of sink?+
The Past Simple of sink is sank. The past participle is sunk. Sink → sank → sunk. The vowel changes i → a → u, like drink, sing, ring and swim.
Can sink be a noun?+
Yes! A sink is the place where you wash things, with taps and water. The kitchen sink is for washing dishes. The bathroom sink is for washing your hands and face. Same word, different meaning: one is a verb, one is a noun.
What does a sinking feeling mean?+
A sinking feeling is the feeling that something bad is going to happen. It is as if your heart is going down. I have a sinking feeling about this exam.
What does sink in mean?+
Sink in means to understand something completely, after some time (news or information). It took a while for the news to sink in means I needed time to really understand the news.
Is it sank or sinked?+
Say sank. Sink is irregular, like drink → drank → drunk. It follows the i → a → u pattern, so sinked is wrong.
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/sink
© 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.