Breathe past tense

Type your word here
Try:

Learn past tenses to communicate in English accurately

Meaning of breathe

to take air into the lungs and then expel it, especially as a regular physiological process.

Infinitive

Word: breathe /briːð/
Examples:
  • 1. We breathe fresh air when we go for a walk in the park.
  • 2. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide and release oxygen during the day.
  • 3. Fish breathe underwater through their gills.

Past Simple

Word: breathed /brɪðd/
Examples:
  • 1. She breathed deeply to calm her nerves before the performance.
  • 2. He realized he hadn't breathed so freely in years, not since leaving the countryside.
  • 3. They breathed a sigh of relief when the exam was finally over.

Past Participle

Word: breathed /brɪðd/
Examples:
  • 1. The room had been breathed in by generations of the family, each adding their own layer of history to the walls.
  • 2. Fresh air is breathed effortlessly by the joggers every morning in the park.
  • 3. The secrets of the ancient forest had been breathed out by the oldest trees, sharing wisdom with those who listen.

Learn more words on the go

Master verb forms with Promova!

Download the app
cta-section-decorative-line-left
cta-section-decorative-line-left

Bare infinitive

  1. General truths or facts.
    Example. People breathe oxygen to live.
    Example. He breathes heavily when he climbs stairs.
    Example. And now he breathes deeply, getting ready for the shot.
  2. Habitual actions.
    Example. People breathe oxygen to live.
    Example. He breathes heavily when he climbs stairs.
    Example. And now he breathes deeply, getting ready for the shot.
  3. Narrating realtime events (often in sports commentary).
    Example. People breathe oxygen to live.
    Example. He breathes heavily when he climbs stairs.
    Example. And now he breathes deeply, getting ready for the shot.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions in the past at a specific time.
    Example. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the news yesterday.
    Example. He breathed in deeply and then jumped into the pool.
    Example. We breathed the fresh mountain air last summer during our vacation.
  2. A sequence of actions in the past.
    Example. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the news yesterday.
    Example. He breathed in deeply and then jumped into the pool.
    Example. We breathed the fresh mountain air last summer during our vacation.
  3. With expressions like 'yesterday,' 'last week,' etc., indicating past.
    Example. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the news yesterday.
    Example. He breathed in deeply and then jumped into the pool.
    Example. We breathed the fresh mountain air last summer during our vacation.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect).
    Example. The room was breathed into silence by the performer’s sudden pause.
    Example. The breathed air in the submarine was getting stale.
  2. Example (Present Perfect). She has breathed easier since moving to the countryside.
    Example. The room was breathed into silence by the performer’s sudden pause.
    Example. The breathed air in the submarine was getting stale.
  3. Example (Past Perfect). They had breathed the toxic fumes before realizing the danger.
    Example. The room was breathed into silence by the performer’s sudden pause.
    Example. The breathed air in the submarine was getting stale.
  4. Example (Future Perfect). By next year, he will have breathed life into this abandoned project.
    Example. The room was breathed into silence by the performer’s sudden pause.
    Example. The breathed air in the submarine was getting stale.
  5. Passive voice constructions.
    Example. The room was breathed into silence by the performer’s sudden pause.
    Example. The breathed air in the submarine was getting stale.
  6. As an adjective in certain contexts.
    Example. The room was breathed into silence by the performer’s sudden pause.
    Example. The breathed air in the submarine was getting stale.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is using 'breathed' incorrectly or interchangeably for both the past simple and past participle forms of 'breathe.' The correct past simple form is 'breathed,' as in 'Yesterday, I breathed deeply to calm my nerves.' However, the past participle form is also 'breathed,' used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses, such as 'I have breathed the fresh air of the mountains.' The mistake often arises when learners assume there should be distinct forms for the past simple and past participle, whereas 'breathed' correctly serves both roles.

— 02

Mispronunciation

Pronunciation errors frequently occur with the past simple and past participle form 'breathed.' Learners might mistakenly pronounce it as 'breath-ed' with a hard 'ed' sound, similar to how regular past simple verbs are pronounced, such as 'walked' or 'talked.' However, 'breathed' is correctly pronounced with a soft 'ed,' making it sound more like 'breathd.' This mispronunciation can lead to confusion and can hinder effective communication, as it might not be immediately clear to listeners that the past tense is being used.

— 03

Incorrect Spelling Variations

Another mistake is misspelling 'breathed' by adding extra letters or confusing its spelling with the base form 'breathe.' Some learners might write 'breathd,' omitting the crucial 'e' before the 'd,' or write 'breatheded,' erroneously doubling the 'ed' suffix. These spelling mistakes stem from misunderstanding the rule that to form the past simple and past participle of regular verbs ending in 'e,' you only need to add a 'd' after the base form. Correct spelling is crucial for clear written communication and to avoid ambiguity in the tense being used.

Past tense quiz

Check your skills and find areas for improvement

Take quiz

Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'breathe'?

The past simple form of 'breathe' is 'breathed.' It is used to describe an action that happened and was completed in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I breathed deeply to calm my nerves.'

What is the past participle form of 'breathe'?

The past participle form of 'breathe' is also 'breathed.' This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have breathed in so much fresh air today.'

How do you use 'breathed' in a sentence to indicate a past action?

To indicate a past action, you use 'breathed' in the simple past tense. For instance, 'She breathed in the scent of the flowers as she walked through the garden.' This sentence shows that the action of breathing in the scent occurred in the past.

Can you give an example of a sentence using 'breathed' in a passive voice?

Yes, in a passive voice, 'breathed' can be used to show that the subject was acted upon. For example, 'The fresh country air was breathed by the city dwellers with much appreciation during their visit.' This sentence emphasizes the action of breathing the air rather than who performed the action.