Irregular verb
The verb to stand
stand → stood → stood
A2Meaning: to be on your feet; to accept something you don't like · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they stand·he/she/it stands - Past Simple:
stood - Past participle:
stood(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
standing
Conjugation of the verb to stand
Present Simple
| I | stand |
| You | stand |
| He / She / It | stands |
| We | stand |
| You (pl.) | stand |
| They | stand |
Past Simple
| I | stood |
| You | stood |
| He / She / It | stood |
| We | stood |
| You (pl.) | stood |
| They | stood |
All the forms of the verb to stand
Present Simple
Full pagestand / stands
“I stand at the back of the room.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are standing
“I am standing in the queue right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagestood
“She stood by the window.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were standing
“I was standing in the queue when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has stood
“I have already stood in the queue.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad stood
“She had already stood in the queue when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill stand
“I will stand in the queue tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to stand
“I'm going to stand in the queue this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould stand
“I would stand in the queue if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to stand
1. Standing (on your feet)
- I stood by the door.
- Stand up, please.
2. Accepting something (often in the negative)
I can't stand… means I really don't like something, and I can't accept it.
- I can't stand spinach.
A common mistake
1. I stand up at 7 every morning ❌
Stand up = to go from sitting to standing (from a chair). Get up = to get out of bed in the morning. So say I get up at 7 every morning.
Going further
Conjugating to stand 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 stand. Now say it out loud.
This page explained everything. On PLAY, you practise this verb out loud in 3 minutes, until it comes naturally.
Practise to stand on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersReady-made activities to practise to stand in class
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Related pages: stand
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of stand?+
The Past Simple of stand is stood, the same for every person. The past participle is also stood. Stand → stood → stood.
What does I can't stand mean?+
I can't stand means I really don't like something or someone, and I can't accept it. I can't stand him. I can't stand the noise.
What is the difference between stand up and get up?+
Stand up means to go from sitting to standing. Get up means to get out of bed, usually in the morning. I get up at 7. The pupils stand up when the teacher comes in. Get up can also mean to stand up, but stand up is never about getting out of bed.
What does stand for mean?+
Stand for means to be the short form of a longer name. What does UK stand for? It stands for United Kingdom.
Is it standed or stood?+
Say stood. Stand is an irregular verb, like understand → understood. Its Past Simple is stood, never standed.
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/stand
© 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.