Ever found yourself writing a sentence like, “He build… wait, is it builded? Or built?” Don’t worry you’re not alone. English verbs can be tricky, especially the irregular ones. If you’ve ever paused while typing or speaking because you weren’t sure whether to say build or built, you’ve landed in the right place.
Let’s clear this up once and for all the correct past tense of “build” is “built.” Not “builded.” Not “build.” Just plain old built.
Understanding the Verb “Build”
The verb build means to make or construct something by putting parts or materials together. It’s a common word in English, used in everything from architecture to software development to relationships.
Here’s how the base verb fits into everyday speech:
- Present tense: I build websites for small businesses.
- Past tense: She built a strong portfolio over the years.
- Past participle: They’ve built a reputation for excellence.
Let’s unpack how the verb “build” behaves across different tenses.
🧠 Is “Built” the Past Tense of Build?
Yes, 100%. “Built” is the simple past tense and the past participle of the verb “build.” This means it’s used in both past actions and in perfect tenses.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Tense | Verb Form | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | build / builds | I build houses. / She builds apps. |
| Past Simple | built | They built a cabin last summer. |
| Present Perfect | have/has built | We have built three prototypes this year. |
| Past Perfect | had built | He had built a strong brand before retiring. |
| Future Perfect | will have built | By 2026, she will have built her dream home. |
| Present Continuous | am/is/are building | I am building a new portfolio. |
| Past Continuous | was/were building | They were building the fence yesterday. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | have been building | We’ve been building this project for weeks. |
Notice how built appears in the past and perfect tenses. You’ll never see “builded” used in modern English (unless it’s in a joke).
🤦 Common Mistake: “Builded” Why It’s Incorrect
Let’s be honest “builded” just sounds off, doesn’t it? That’s because “build” is an irregular verb. Irregular verbs don’t follow the typical “-ed” rule for past tense.
Here’s a list of similar irregular verbs to keep in mind:
| Base Verb | Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| build | built | built |
| buy | bought | bought |
| teach | taught | taught |
| catch | caught | caught |
| think | thought | thought |
If you ever find yourself typing “builded,” pause. The correct form is always built.
✉️ Email Scenario Using “Built”
Here’s a simple professional email example using the past tense correctly:
Subject: Project Update – CRM Dashboard
Hi Lena,
Just wanted to share that we built the initial version of the CRM dashboard over the weekend. It includes client tracking, activity logs, and sales summaries.
Let me know if you’d like to jump on a call to review it.
Best,
Marcus
Notice how “built” clearly shows a completed action in the past. This is the past tense of build at work in a real-world setting.
🧾 Real-Life Sentence Examples with “Built”
Let’s look at a few more:
- Correct: The team built a new mobile app in three weeks.
- Incorrect: The team builded a new mobile app in three weeks. ✗
- Correct: She has built a strong network in the tech industry.
- Correct: The skyscraper was built in 1999.
These variations include past simple, past participle, and passive voice.
🗣️ Dialogue Example: Everyday Use
Let’s listen in on a quick convo between friends:
Emma: “Hey, did you see the treehouse my dad and I built over the weekend?”
Jade: “No way! That sounds amazing. How long did it take?”
Emma: “Two full days. But it was worth it we even built a rope ladder.”
Both instances of built here are past tense verbs showing completed action.
🧱 “Built” in Perfect Tense: The Layered Approach
The beauty of irregular verbs is how they work with helping verbs to show nuanced time frames. Perfect tenses do this elegantly.
Let’s compare:
- Simple past: He built the app. (action happened in the past)
- Present perfect: He has built the app. (action happened in the past but affects the present)
- Past perfect: He had built the app before the deadline. (action completed before another past action)
In each case, “built” remains unchanged it’s both the past tense and the past participle. This is a hallmark trait of irregular verbs.
🔁 Build Conjugation Chart
Here’s a clean breakdown of all verb forms of build across the 12 English tenses:
| Tense | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Simple Present | I build furniture. |
| Present Continuous | She is building a treehouse. |
| Simple Past | They built a fence. |
| Past Continuous | We were building a robot. |
| Present Perfect | He has built five birdhouses. |
| Past Perfect | I had built the model before class started. |
| Future Simple | She will build a new site. |
| Future Perfect | We will have built the foundation by Friday. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | They have been building this app for weeks. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | He had been building websites for years. |
| Future Continuous | I will be building a new deck tomorrow. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | By next month, they will have been building for a year. |
Print it. Bookmark it. Tattoo it okay, maybe not that last one.
📚 Build vs Built Grammar – In Summary
To wrap it up, let’s address the main confusion points that bring people here:
- Build is the present tense/base form.
- Built is the past tense and past participle.
- Builded is incorrect, though it may appear in archaic or humorous usage.
- “Build” is an irregular verb, so it doesn’t take the usual -ed suffix.
- You can use “built” in perfect tenses, passive constructions, and past narrative.
🎯 Common Questions Answered
Here’s a lightning round of the internet’s most Googled grammar queries:
- Is built the past tense of build? Yes.
- Built or build – which is correct? Depends on the tense. For past, use built.
- Past tense of build in a sentence? She built a new office in record time.
- Is build a regular or irregular verb? Irregular.
- How to use built in a sentence? They had built trust over years of working together.
✅ Final Practice Tip
If you want to master irregular verbs like build, practice using them in all 12 tenses. Create your own sentences, correct your past mistakes, and read examples out loud. The more you use it, the more natural it feels.
🧠 Key Takeaways
- Use build for present and built for past and perfect tenses.
- Avoid using builded it’s grammatically incorrect.
- Apply “built” confidently in real-life contexts like emails, dialogue, and storytelling.
- Remember: built isn’t just past it’s the past participle too.
Next time you’re unsure, don’t overthink it. Just remember: You build today, but you built yesterday. Simple as that.
