The verb to swim · Conjugation
Past Simple of swim
The answer: swam
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to swim is swam.
Example: I swam in the sea last summer.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | swam |
| You | swam |
| He / She / It | swam |
| We | swam |
| You (pl.) | swam |
| They | swam |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I have swam ❌
I swam yesterday. ✓ I have swum many times. ✓ After have or has, always use swum, never swam.
2. Swimmed ❌
Swim is irregular. Its Past Simple is swam, never swimmed.
3. The i → a → u family
Swim → swam → swum. It is like sing → sang → sung, drink → drank → drunk and ring → rang → rung.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of swim?+
The Past Simple of swim is swam. The past participle is swum. Swim → swam → swum (like sing → sang → sung).
What is the difference between swam and swum?+
Swam is the Past Simple: I swam in the sea. Swum is the past participle: I have swum in the sea. Don't mix them up.
Why is it not swimmed?+
Swim is irregular. Its Past Simple is swam, never swimmed.
Is it I love swimming or I love to swim?+
Both are correct: I love swimming and I love to swim. Swimming is also the name of the sport. You can also say I go swimming every week.
Why does swimming have two m's?+
When a short verb ends in consonant + vowel + consonant, you double the final consonant before -ing: swim → swimming. It is the same with run → running and sit → sitting.
Related pages: swim Past Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
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/swim/past-simple
© 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.
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More forms of the verb to swim are coming soon.