They say “the first cut is the deepest”, but can we determine which tense of cut the adage refers to? What’s the correct past tense of “cut”?
What’s the past tense of cut?
Cut is irregular in that it does not end in –ed in its past forms. This makes the verb cut tricky for us English speakers, since, normally, the rule is to add an –ed to denote the past tense.
He cut the rope with a sharp knife.
The surgeon has cut carefully around the tumor.
- Cut uses one form in the present, past and as a past participle verb.
- Cut is irregular because it doesn’t change at all to denote the past, and it does not end in “-ed” as a past tense.
Verb forms of cut
Let’s define the topic first. The verb cut, as defined by Collins Dictionary:
|
If you cut something, you use a knife or a similar tool to divide it into pieces, or to mark it or damage it. If you cut a shape or a hole in something, you make the shape or hole by using a knife or similar tool: Mrs. Haines stood nearby, holding scissors to cut a ribbon. |
| present | past | future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| simple | I cut | I cut | I will cut |
| continuous | I am cutting | I was cutting | I will be cutting |
| perfect | I have cut | I had cut | I will have cut |
| perfect continuous | I have been cutting | I had been cutting | I will have been cutting |
Irregular verbs with one past tense (like cut)
Irregular verbs come in various forms, but certain verbs show no change between the present, past and its past participle form. This is true with the verb cut, and other irregular verbs like hurt, shut, bet and set. Cut in the present participle is cutting, i.e., ‘I’m cutting the carrots for the salad.’ In the third-person singular, cut simply adds an –s and is cuts: ‘He cuts the wood with one clean chop of the knife.’
| base verb | past tense | past participle |
|---|---|---|
| cut | cut | cut |
| burst | burst | burst |
| bet | bet | bet |
| shut | shut | shut |
| hit | hit | hit |
| set | set | set |
Cut in the present tense
| Examples: “cut“, present tense |
|---|
| Cut the tomatoes in half vertically. Make sure to thinly cut the cucumbers. The employer wants to cut back health benefits. Mr. Long was now cutting himself a piece of the pink cake. |
Cut in the past tense/past participle
| Examples: “cut“, past tense |
|---|
| He had cut the cake into thin slices before passing everyone a piece. Yesterday, I cut wood to build a fire. The President was asked to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony. Ashley had cut out the figures before they began the work on pasting. |
‘cut’ is an irregular verb like ‘put’ or ‘hit’—its past tense is still ‘cut’, not ‘cutted’.
Phrases with the word cut
| expression | meaning |
|---|---|
| not cut out for | not suited or able to do something, normally a difficult task |
| cut your coat according to your cloth | to spend within one’s means |
| to run around like a chicken with its head cut off | to run around frantically or be in a frenzy |
| a cut above | something better or finer than other things, presumably of the same type |
| cut to the chase | get to the point |
| cut of your jib | said to someone when you like their overall demeanour or way of being |
| cut no ice | for something to have little or no impact |
| cut the mustard | to work or operate in a way that’s satisfactory |
| cut off | often said when driving when someone drives in front of you, or in your lane abruptly |
| cut a deal | to make a deal |
| cut corners | find a cheap or easier way to do something, but could compromise the quality or integrity |
| cut down | to make something smaller or more manageable |
Origin of the word cut
| Origin | Middle English cutten, probably from Old French couter “to cut,” of uncertain Germanic origin. The modern sense of “divide with a sharp instrument” dates from the 14th century. |
Commonly confused verbs
Worksheet: Irregular verbs
What is the correct past tense of the verb “cut”?
According to the blog post, why is “cut” considered an irregular verb?
Which sentence correctly uses the past tense of “cut”?
Which sentence from the blog post is marked as incorrect because it uses the wrong form?
Which of these verbs is mentioned in the blog post as behaving like “cut” (same form for present, past, and past participle)?
Yesterday, I my finger while chopping vegetables.
He had already the grass before it started raining.
She the fabric into small pieces for the craft project.
The blog post explains that the past participle of “cut” is .
The workers down the old tree last week.
FAQs
What is the correct past tense of cut?
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Is “cutted” the correct past tense?
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Is cut considered an irregular verb?
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What is the past participle form of cut?
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Are there other verbs like cut?
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Sources
- Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Yash, D. "Is it Cutted or Cut: Which is the Correct Past Tense of Cut?." Grammarflex, Jun 25, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/is-it-cutted-or-cut-which-is-the-correct-past-tense-of-cut/.
