Is It Cost or Costed: Understanding the Past Tense of “Cost”
Quick Answer
The past tense of cost is cost. It never changes. There is no “costed” in everyday English. You say: “The book cost ten dollars yesterday.”
Cost, Cost, Cost — See the Pattern
Look at these sentences. Can you see what happens to cost?
- This jacket costs fifty dollars. (now)
- Yesterday, the jacket cost fifty dollars too. (past)
- That jacket has cost fifty dollars for months. (with have/has/had)
- The trip cost us a lot of money last summer. (past)
Did you see the pattern? The word cost looks the same every time. It does not change at all.
| Now (Present) | Past (Yesterday) | With have/has/had | -ing Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| cost | cost | cost | costing |
Why Is the Past Tense Still “Cost”?
Most verbs add -ed to talk about the past. For example: walk → walked, play → played.
But cost is different. It is an irregular verb that never changes its form. The word stays the same no matter when the action happens.
- Talking about now: “A coffee costs three dollars at that shop.”
- Talking about the past: “A coffee cost only two dollars there last year.”
- With have/has/had: “A coffee has cost three dollars here since January.”
Easy way to remember: “Cost” is like “cut” and “put” — these three verbs never add -ed. They always stay the same.
The Rule in One Line: Cost never changes — it is always “cost,” never “costed.”
How to Use Cost in Everyday English
- “The meal cost us fifteen dollars last night.” (we paid that amount in the past)
- “Her phone cost a lot of money.” (it was expensive when she bought it)
- “The mistake cost him his job.” (the mistake caused him to lose his job)
- “How much did the tickets cost?” (asking about the price in the past)
- “The repairs have cost more than we expected.” (the total has grown over time)
You are doing great. Now let’s look at the mistakes many learners make.
The Most Common Mistake With Cost
Even advanced learners try to say “costed” sometimes — so if you have made this mistake, you are not alone. It feels natural to add -ed because that is how most English verbs work. But “costed” is not used in everyday English.
✗ “The shoes costed me fifty dollars.”
✓ “The shoes cost me fifty dollars.”
✗ “It has costed a lot this year.”
✓ “It has cost a lot this year.”
How to remember: Think of the word “cost” as a price tag — the number on a price tag never changes after you buy something. No matter what tense you use, it stays “cost.”
Other verbs that work like this: cut, put, set, shut, hit, hurt. None of them add -ed.
Test Yourself: Cost or Costed?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. The new phone _______ me 800 dollars last month.
2. How much did the concert tickets _______?
3. That holiday has _______ us a lot of money.
4. The taxi _______ twenty dollars from the airport yesterday.
5. Her mistake _______ the team the game last week.
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You just learned that “cost” never changes. That is one more irregular verb you will never get wrong again.
But here is something interesting: did you know that hurt works the exact same way? “She hurt her knee yesterday” — no “hurted,” no changes. But many learners still get confused about when to say “hurt” and when to say “hurts.” Do you know the difference?
Next lesson: Is It Hurt or Hurted? The Past Tense of Hurt
Source
Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of cost.” Online Etymology Dictionary
“Cost.” Farlex Dictionary of Idioms
My name is Khamis Maiouf. I am the creator of the English Teacher Site, dedicated to providing valuable resources and insights for students around the world. With a passion for education and a commitment to helping students enhance their skills, I aim to make English teaching more effective and enjoyable for both educators and students.
