IRREGULAR VERBS

Regular verbs are so easy to learn but it becomes much easier when you know all irregular
verbs because it enables you to tell apart regular and irregular verbs. One thing you can be
certain of is that when you know irregular verbs, you have a strong foundation for knowing
English.
A better way to learn these verbs is to read them and go through them again and again,
don’t try to memorize them as you read them much time you will find yourself having
memorized them.
The main thing is not knowing the meaning of the verb though it is good as well, however
the main thing is knowing simple past (sp) and past participle (pp) of the verb.

Type 1. The same form for the simple past and past participle (simple past na past
particible biba bisa, infinitive dusoma i ahandi tugasoma e) Group 1 - 1 (5 Vervs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To breed Bred bred Kwororoka
To feed Fed fed Kugaburira
To read Read read Gusoma
To lead Led led Kuyobora
To deal Dealt dealt Gutanga ikarita

Type 1. The simple past and the past participle are exactly the same and end with
“t”(Infinitive dusoma i naho simple past na past particible dusoma e) Group 1 - 2
(10 Verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To feel felt felt Kwiyumva
To sweep swept swept Gukubura
To leap Leapt leapt Gusimbuka
To sleep Slept slept Gusinzira
To keep Kept kept Kubika
To leave Left left Gusiga
To weep Wept wept kurira
To creep Crept crept kuranda
To meet Met met Guhura
To mean Meant meant Gusobanura
Type 1. The simple past and past participles are exactly the same and are formed
by changing the last consonant to a “d” or to “de”(simple past na past participle ni
bimwe ingombajwi yanyuma ihinduka “d /de”) Group 2 –1 (7 Verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To have Had had Kugira
To make Made made Gukora
To say said said Kuvuga
To lay Laid laid Kurambika
To pay Paid paid kwishyura
To hear Heard heard Kumva
To slide Slid slid kunyerera

Type 1. The simple past and past participles are exactly the same and are formed
by changing the last consonant to “t”.(simple past na past participle ni bimwe
ingombajwi yanyuma ihinduka “t”) Group 2 –2 (11 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To spend spent spent Gukoresha
To bend Bent bent Guhina
To send Sent sent kohereza
To lend Lent lent Gutiza
To smell Smelt smelt gutiza
To burn Burnt burnt Gutwika
To build Built built Kubaka
Type 1. The verbs below (also in group 2) have both regular and irregular forms
ending in “t”(simple past na past participle ni bimwe ingombajwi yanyuma ihinduka
“t” (zinakurikiza amategeko)) Group 2 –2 (11 verbs)
To learn learnt/learned Learnt Kwiga
To dream dreamt/dreamed dreamt/dreamed Kurota
To spill spilt/spilled spilt/spilled Kumena
To spoil spoil/spoiled spoil/spoiled gutetesha
Type 1. The simple past and past participles are the same and are formed by
changing the last consonant to “ght” pronounced /t/simple past na past participle
ni bimwe ingombajwi yanyuma ihinduka “ght” bisomwa “t”) Group 3 – 1 (7 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To bring brought brought Kuzana
To catch Caught caught Gufata
To think Thought thought Gutekereza
To buy Bought bought Kugura
To fight Fought fought kurwana
To seek Sought sought Gushaka
To teach Taught taught Kwigisha

Type 1. The simple past and past participles are the same and are formed by
changing the last consonant to “d”(simple past na past participle ni bimwe
ingombajwi yanyuma ihinduka “d” ) Group 4 A (11 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To tell Told told Kubwira
To sell Sold sold Kugurisha
To bind Bound bound Guhambira
To find Found found Gushaka
To grind Ground ground Gusya
To wind Wound wound Kuzingira
To stand Stood stood Guhagarara
To understand Understood understood Kumva
To withstand Withstood withstood Kwihanganira
To hold Held held Gufata
To withhold Withheld withheld Kwimana

Type 2. The simple past and past participles the same and end in “t, ck, n or
ne”(simple past na past participle ni bimwe inyuguti yanyuma aba ari [t,ck,n/ne]
Group 4 B-1 (9 Verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To get Got got/gotten (US) Kubona
To lose lost lost Kubura
To shine Shone shone Gushashagirana
To shoot Shot shot Kurasa
To sit Sat sat Kwicara
To spit spit/ spat spit/spat Gucira
To stick Stuck stuck Gufatira
To strike Struck struck Gukubita
To win Won won Gutsinda

Type 2. The simple past and past participles the same and end in “g and ng” and
middle vowel change to u (simple past na past participle ni bimwe inyuguti
yanyuma aba ari, [g na ng] ndetse inyuguti yo hagati ihinduka u ) Group 4 B-2 (10
verbs)
To swing swung swung Kwicunda
To wring wrung wrung Kuzingira
To dig dug dug Gucukura
To cling clung clung Gufatira
To fling flung flung Kujugunya
To hang Hung/hanged hung/hanged Kumanika
To sling slung slung Kujugunya
To string strung strung Gufatisha
To spin spun spun Kuzengurutsa
To sting stung stung Kudwinga

TYPE 2 : THREE DIFFERENT FORMS

Type 2. The simple past and past participles are different (simple past na past
participle biratandukanye) Group 5 (11verbs)
Simple past ends with ew and past participle ends with wn
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To blow blew blown Guhuha
To grow grew grown Gukura
To know knew known Kumenya
To throw threw thrown Kumenya
To fly flew flown Kuguruka
To draw drew drawn Gushushanya
To withdraw withdrew withdrawn Kubikuza
Simple past is regular and past participle is regular or irregular
To mow mowed mowed/mown Gukata ibyatsi
To show showed showed/shown kwereka
To sew sewed sewed/sewn Kudoda
To sow sowed sowed/sown kubiba
Sow and Sew are pronounced exactly the same. Sow na sew bivugwa kimwe
Type 2. The simple past and past participle are different and past participle is
formed by adding n to simple past (simple past na past participle biratandukanye
ikindi past participle iboneka twongeye n kuri simple past Group 6 (7 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To break broke broken Kumena
To choose chose chosen Guhitamo
To freeze froze frozen Gukonjesha
To speak spoke spoken Kuvuga
To steal stole stolen Kwiba
To wake woke woken Kubyuka
To weave wove woven Kuboha

Simple past and infinitive biba bitandukanye (exception beat = beat) kuri past
participle twongeraho e iyo idahari nuko tugashyiraho n group 7 ( 11 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To eat ate Eaten Kurya
To beat beat beaten Gukubita
To drive drove driven Gutwara
To give gave given Gutanga
To forgive forgave forgiven Kubabarira
To strive strived/strove strived/striven Guharanira
To shake shook shaken Gucugusa
To forsake forsook forsaken Gutererana
To rise rose risen Kuzamuka
To arise arose arisen Guhaguruka

Simple past na past participle biratandukanye. Inyuguti yo hagati iba itandukanye,

past participle inyuguti ya nyuma yikuba kabiri. Group 7 ( 7verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To bite bit bitten Kuruma
To write wrote written Kwandika
To forget Forgot Forgotten Kwibagirwa
To forbid forbad Forbidden Kubuza
To hide hid hidden Guhisha
To ride rode ridden Guhisha
To fall Fell fallen Kugwa
Simple past and past participle are different (Simple past na past participle biba
bitandukaniye) Group 8-2 ( 5 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Ikinyarwanda
To be was been Kuba
To see saw seen Kureba
To go went gone Kugenda
To do did done Gukora
To begin began begun Gutangira

Simple past and past participle differ, but past participle is like infinitive ( Simple
past na past participle biratandukanye, ariko past participle iba imeze nkimbundo)
Group 8-2 ( 4 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To come came come Kuza
To become became become Guhinduka
To overcome overcame overcome kunesha
To run ran run kwiruka

Simple past and past participle are different, the central vowel sound change from
ea to o and add e to final consonant while past participle we change the final e of
sp to n (simple past na past participle biba bitandukaniye, inyajwi yo hagati ea ihinduka o
muri simple past tukongera e ku ngombajwi yinyuma mugihe muri pp e yinyuma kuri sp
ihinduka n) Group 8 -3 (4 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To swear swore sworn kurahira
To bear bore born Kwihanganira
To wear wore worn Kwambara
To tear tore torn Gushwanyaguza

Simple past na past participle biba bitandukanye. Sp inyajwi yo hagati  a na pp

inyajwi yo hagati  u Group 8-4 (8 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To spring sprang sprung Gusimbuka
To ring rang rung Kuvuza inzogera
To sing sang sung kuririmba
To drink drank drunk Kunywa
To shrink shrank shrunk Kugabanyuka
To sink Sank sunk Kunuka
To swim swam swum Koga

Simple past na past participle biratandukanye Group 8-5 (2 verbs)

Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To lie lay lain Kurambika
To slay slew slain Kwica
Lie= ikurikiza amategeko isobanura kubeshya

TYPE 3: THE SAME FORM FOR THE INFINITIVE, SIMPLE PAST AND PAST
PARTICIPLE
Central vowel sound is /E/ inyuguti yo yagati ni /E/ group 9 -1(5 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To let let let Kureka
To bet bet bet Gutega
To set set set Kurenga
To shed shed shed Kumena
To spread spread spread Gukwirakwiza

Central vowel sound is /i/ inyuguti yo yagati ni /i/ group 9 -2 (5 verbs)

Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To hit hit hit Gukubita
To bid bid bid Gutanga
To slit slit slit Kwasa
To split split split Gutandukanya
To quit quit quit Kureka

Central vowel sound is /u/ inyuguti yo yagati ni /u/ group 9 - 3 (3 verbs)

Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To cut cut cut Gukata
To shut shut shut Gufunga
To thrust thrust thrust guhata
 The central vowel sound is /A:/(inyajwi yo hagati iba ari A:) Group 9 -4 (2 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To hurt hurt hurt Kubabaza
To burst burst burst Gusndara

Central vowel sound is /a:/ inyuguti yo yagati ni /a:/ group 9-5 (3 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To cast cast cast Guterera
To forecast forecast forecast Guteganya
To broadcast TV… broadcast broadcast Gusakaza

The central vowel sound is /A:/ (inyajwi yo hagati iba ari /A:/) Group 9-6 ( 3 verbs)
Infinitive Simple past Past participle Kinyarwanda
To put put put Gushyira
To cost cost cost Kugura

By KURADUSENGE Valens Boanerge

Now you know one hundred forty nine irregular verbs, your effort to speak correct English is
soon going to flourish. When you know irregular verbs, learning English becomes so easy,
because they help you to understand tenses.
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