The drink past participle is drunk. It follows the irregular pattern of the verb "drink," which does not form its past participle by adding -ed. Instead, "drink" becomes "drank" in the simple past and "drunk" in the past participle.
Verbs in English fall into two broad categories: regular and irregular. Regular verbs form their past tense and past participle by adding -ed to the base form. For example, "walk" becomes "walked" and "walked" again in the past participle. Irregular verbs do not follow this rule. The verb "drink" belongs to this group, and its past participle is "drunk."
Use of the past participle is essential in perfect tenses and passive constructions. In the present perfect tense, "I have drunk three cups of coffee today," "drunk" connects the action to the present. In passive voice, "The wine was drunk during the party," the past participle shows that the subject received the action.
The past participle of "drink" appears in compound verb forms. These include the present perfect ("has drunk"), past perfect ("had drunk"), and future perfect ("will have drunk"). All require the auxiliary verb "have" or "had" paired with "drunk."
For example: "She has drunk her entire glass of milk." This sentence uses "has drunk" to show that the drinking occurred before now and may affect the current situation. The past participle "drunk" remains unchanged regardless of subject or time frame.
Passive constructions also rely on the past participle. In "The bottle was drunk dry," the focus shifts from who performed the action to the state of the object. Though less common, such passive uses exist in literary or poetic contexts.
A frequent error is using "drank" as the past participle. "I have drank my tea" is incorrect. The correct form is "I have drunk my tea." Using "drank" here violates standard grammar rules.
Another confusion arises in negative constructions. "He hasn't drunk anything since morning" is correct. "He hasn't drank anything" is widely spoken but still nonstandard. Native speakers often use "drank" informally, but formal writing demands "drunk."
Some learners assume all verbs ending in -ink follow the same pattern. But "ink" is not a verb in standard usage. Only "drink" and a few others-like "sink," "stink," and "think"-share this irregularity. The pattern is not predictable from spelling.
| Form | Base Verb | Simple Past | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | drink | drank | drunk |
| Present | drink | - | - |
| Future | will drink | - | - |
As shown, the past participle is always "drunk." This form never changes, even with different subjects or tenses. The auxiliary verb determines the time frame, not the past participle itself.
In literature, "drunk" appears in passive constructions for dramatic effect. In Shakespeare's *Hamlet*, the line "The play's the thing / Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king" implies a hidden meaning, but later, in *King Lear*, Gloucester says, "I am a man / More sinned against than sinning," reflecting a life of excess. While not direct, the theme of drinking and its consequences is embedded in such language.
In modern usage, consider: "The athlete has drunk too much energy drink before the race." Here, "has drunk" marks the action as completed and relevant to the present. The past participle "drunk" signals that the consumption happened earlier and affects current performance.
I once corrected a student's essay where they wrote, "I have drank my water." After showing them the correct form and explaining the difference between past and past participle, they began using "drunk" correctly in all contexts. The shift was immediate and consistent.
Using "drunk" correctly strengthens clarity and credibility. Misusing the past participle weakens written authority and can confuse readers. In academic, professional, or formal communication, accuracy matters.
According to the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, "drink" is listed as an irregular verb with past tense "drank" and past participle "drunk." Similarly, Merriam-Webster confirms the same forms. Both sources emphasize that "drunk" is the only correct past participle.
One non-obvious fact: "Drunk" functions as both an adjective and a past participle. In "He was drunk," it describes a state. In "The beer has been drunk," it acts as a verb form. Context determines the role.