What’s the Past Tense of Drink: A Simple Guide to English Verbs
Quick Answer
The past tense of drink is drank. With “have” or “has,” use drunk.
Every day: I drink water.
Yesterday: I drank water.
Many times: I have drunk a lot of water today.
Drink, Drank, Drunk — See the Pattern
Read these sentences. Look at how the verb changes:
- She drinks tea every morning. (now — every day)
- She drank tea this morning. (past — it is finished)
- She has drunk three cups of tea today. (past with “has”)
Did you see the pattern? There are three forms:
| When? | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Now / every day | drink | I drink coffee every day. |
| In the past | drank | I drank coffee yesterday. |
| With have / has / had | drunk | I have drunk too much coffee. |
When to Use Drank and When to Use Drunk
This is the part that confuses many learners. Here is the simple rule:
Use “drank” when you talk about the past — something that is finished:
- He drank a glass of juice yesterday.
- We drank water after the game.
Use “drunk” when there is a helping word before it — have, has, or had:
- I have drunk two bottles of water today.
- She has drunk all the milk.
- They had drunk the tea before I arrived.
Easy way to remember: If you see have, has, or had before it, use drunk. If not, use drank.
The Rule in One Line: have/has/had → drunk. No have → drank.
Real-Life Examples With Drink, Drank, and Drunk
Here are examples you might use every day:
- The children drank their milk at breakfast. (past — it is finished)
- I drank too much coffee and could not sleep. (past — it is finished)
- He has already drunk his water. (with “has” — use drunk)
- We have not drunk anything since lunch. (with “have” — use drunk)
- She drank a smoothie after her run. (past — no “have”)
You are doing great. Now let’s look at the mistakes many learners make.
Three Mistakes to Avoid With Drink
These are the most common mistakes with “drink.” Even advanced learners mix up “drank” and “drunk” sometimes — so if you get confused, you are not alone.
Mistake 1: Using “drunk” without have/has/had
✗ I drunk a coffee yesterday.
✓ I drank a coffee yesterday.
Mistake 2: Using “drank” with have/has/had
✗ She has drank all the juice.
✓ She has drunk all the juice.
Mistake 3: Saying “drinked”
✗ He drinked water after the match.
✓ He drank water after the match.
How to remember: Think of sing, sang, sung. It follows the same pattern: drink, drank, drunk. The vowel changes from i → a → u.
Test Yourself: Drink, Drank, or Drunk?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. Yesterday, I _______ a glass of orange juice.
2. She has _______ all the milk in the fridge.
3. They _______ coffee every morning before work.
4. He has never _______ tea in his life.
5. We _______ water after the football game last night.
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You just learned drink, drank, drunk. That is one more irregular verb you will never get wrong again.
But English has many verbs like this. Did you know that sing follows the same pattern? Sing, sang, sung — the vowel changes the same way. Do you know when to use sang and when to use sung?
Next lesson: Sang or Sung — Which One is Correct?
Source
drink (v.) — Online Etymology Dictionary
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.
