Definición: Los verbos irregulares, son aquellos que tienen un pasado simple y un participio pasado propio y especial, completamente diferente de los regulares.
Los verbos irregulares, se pueden dividir en tres grandes grupos, dependiendo de su pasado simple y su participio pasado; los tres grandes grupos son los siguientes:
Ejemplos de éste tipo de verbos son los siguientes:
| PRESENTE | PASADO SIMPLE | PARTICIPIO PASADO | ESPAÑOL - PRESENTE |
| am - are - is | was - were | been | ser - estar |
| begin | began | begun | empezar - comenzar |
| break | broke | broken | quebrar |
| blow | blew | blown | soplar |
| choose | chose | chosen | escoger |
| do | did | done | hacer |
| drink | drank | drunk | beber |
| drive | drove | driven | conducir - manejar |
| eat | ate | eaten | comer |
| freeze | froze | frozen | congelar |
| give | gave | given | dar |
| go | went | gone | ir |
| know | knew | known | saber - conocer |
| fly | flew | flown | volar |
| forget | forgot | forgotten | olvidar |
| get | got | gotten | obtener - conseguir |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven | perdonar |
| see | saw | seen | ver |
| sing | sang | sung | cantar |
| speak | spoke | spoken | hablar |
| steal | stole | stolen | robar |
| swim | swam | swum | nadar |
| tear | tore | torn | romper - rasgar |
| take | took | taken | tomar - asir - agarrar |
| wear | wore | worn | usar |
| wake | woke | woken | despertar |
| write | wrote | written | escribir |
2. El segundo grupo de verbos irregulares es el que tiene una forma para el Presente y otra diferente que sirve para el pasado simple y para el participio pasado. Ejemplos de éstos verbos son los siguientes:
| PRESENTE | PASADO SIMPLE | PARTICIPIO PASADO | ESPAÑOL - PRESENTE |
| bring | brought | brought | traer |
| buy | bought | bought | comprar |
| build | built | built | construir |
| can | could | could | poder |
| catch | caught | caught | agarrar |
| feel | felt | felt | sentir |
| find | found | found | encontrar - hallar |
| have | had | had | tener |
| hear | heard | heard | oir |
| hold | held | held | sostener - asir |
| keep | kept | kept | guardar - mantenerse |
| leave | left | left | salir - dejar |
| lend | lent | lent | dar prestado |
| lose | lost | lost | perder |
| make | made | made | hacer |
| mean | meant | meant | significar |
| say | said | said | decir |
| sell | sold | sold | vender |
| sleep | slept | slept | dormir |
| teach | taught | taught | enseñar |
| tell | told | told | decir |
| think | thought | thought | creer - pensar |
| understand | understood | understood | comprender - entender |
| win | won | won | ganar (torneo, lotería) |
3. El tercer grupo de verbos irregulares es el que tiene la misma forma para el presente, el pasado simple y el participio pasado. A continuación te presento algunos ejemplos de este tipo de verbos.
| PRESENTE | PASADO SIMPLE | PARTICIPIO PASADO | ESPAÑOL - PRESENTE |
| bet | bet | bet | apostar |
| broadcast | broadcast | broadcast | transmitir |
| cost | cost | cost | costar - valer |
| cut | cut | cut | cortar |
| burst | burst | burst | explotar - estallar |
| hit | hit | hit | golpear |
| hurt | hurt | hurt | herir - lastimar |
| let | let | let | dejar - permitir |
| put | put | put | poner - colocar |
| read | read | read | leer |
| set | set | set | poner (la mesa) |
| split | split | split | partir |
| spread | spread | spread | regar - esparcir |
| wet | wet | wet | humedecer-regar(patio) |