Irregular verb
The verb to sleep
sleep → slept → slept
A2Meaning: to rest with your eyes closed · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they sleep·he/she/it sleeps - Past Simple:
slept - Past participle:
slept(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
sleeping
Conjugation of the verb to sleep
Present Simple
| I | sleep |
| You | sleep |
| He / She / It | sleeps |
| We | sleep |
| You (pl.) | sleep |
| They | sleep |
Past Simple
| I | slept |
| You | slept |
| He / She / It | slept |
| We | slept |
| You (pl.) | slept |
| They | slept |
All the forms of the verb to sleep
Present Simple
Full pagesleep / sleeps
“I sleep eight hours a night.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are sleeping
“I am sleeping right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageslept
“I slept very well last night.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were sleeping
“I was sleeping when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has slept
“I have already slept.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad slept
“She had already slept when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill sleep
“I will sleep tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to sleep
“I'm going to sleep this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould sleep
“I would sleep if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to sleep
1. Sleeping
- I sleep eight hours.
- The cat is sleeping.
2. Phrasal verbs: sleep in / sleep over
Sleep in means to sleep later than usual. Sleep over means to sleep at someone else's house.
- I slept in on Sunday.
- Can I sleep over at your place?
Common mistakes to avoid
1. The -eep → -ept family
Sleep → slept, keep → kept, sweep → swept. The ee becomes e in the Past Simple. Never sleeped.
2. Sleeping is also an adjective
Sleeping can describe someone who is asleep: a sleeping baby (a baby who is asleep). Sleeping Beauty is a famous fairy tale. After a verb, use asleep: The baby is asleep.
Going further
Conjugating to sleep 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 sleep. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of sleep?+
The Past Simple of sleep is slept, the same for every person. The past participle is also slept. Sleep → slept → slept.
How do you say I slept well?+
For last night, say I slept well (Past Simple). A fun expression: I slept like a baby (I slept very well). To ask: Did you sleep well?
What is the difference between sleep and go to bed?+
Sleep = to be asleep (a state). Go to bed = to get into your bed (an action). I go to bed at 10 p.m., then I sleep until 6 a.m.
What does sleep in mean?+
Sleep in means to sleep later than usual in the morning. I slept in on Saturday. Don't confuse it with sleep over (to sleep at a friend's house).
Is it slept or sleeped?+
Say slept. Sleep is irregular, like keep → kept and feel → felt: the long vowel becomes short. Sleep → slept, never sleeped.
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/sleep
© 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.