write – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of write

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to write in sb
Participle: written in sb
Gerund: writing in sb

Cognates

See the 4 cognates of write

Indicative

Present

Iwrite in sb
youwrite in sb
he;she;itwrites in sb
wewrite in sb
youwrite in sb
theywrite in sb

Perfect

Ihave written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youhave written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
he;she;ithas written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
wehave written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youhave written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
theyhave written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb

Past

Iwrote in sb
youwrote in sb
he;she;itwrote in sb
wewrote in sb
youwrote in sb
theywrote in sb

Pluperfect

Ihad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youhad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
he;she;ithad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
wehad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youhad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
theyhad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb

Future

Iwill write in sb
youwill write in sb
he;she;itwill write in sb
wewill write in sb
youwill write in sb
theywill write in sb

Future Perfect

Iwill have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youwill have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
he;she;itwill have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
wewill have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youwill have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
theywill have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb

Subjunctive

Present

Iwrite in sb
youwrite in sb
he;she;itwrite in sb
wewrite in sb
youwrite in sb
theywrite in sb

Perfect

Ihave written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youhave written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
he;she;ithave written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
wehave written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youhave written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
theyhave written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb

Imperfect

Iwrote in sb
youwrote in sb
he;she;itwrote in sb
wewrote in sb
youwrote in sb
theywrote in sb

Pluperfect

Ihad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youhad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
he;she;ithad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
wehad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youhad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
theyhad written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb

Conditional

Present

Iwould write in sb
youwould write in sb
he;she;itwould write in sb
wewould write in sb
youwould write in sb
theywould write in sb

Perfect

Iwould have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youwould have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
he;she;itwould have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
wewould have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
youwould have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb
theywould have written in sb; wrote in sb; writ in sb

Imperative

youwrite in sb
weLet's write in sb
youwrite in sb

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam writing in sb
youare writing in sb
he;she;itis writing in sb
weare writing in sb
youare writing in sb
theyare writing in sb

Perfect

Ihave been writing in sb
youhave been writing in sb
he;she;ithas been writing in sb
wehave been writing in sb
youhave been writing in sb
theyhave been writing in sb

Past

Iwas writing in sb
youwere writing in sb
he;she;itwas writing in sb
wewere writing in sb
youwere writing in sb
theywere writing in sb

Pluperfect

Ihad been writing in sb
youhad been writing in sb
he;she;ithad been writing in sb
wehad been writing in sb
youhad been writing in sb
theyhad been writing in sb

Future

Iwill be writing in sb
youwill be writing in sb
he;she;itwill be writing in sb
wewill be writing in sb
youwill be writing in sb
theywill be writing in sb

Future Perfect

Iwill have been writing in sb
youwill have been writing in sb
he;she;itwill have been writing in sb
wewill have been writing in sb
youwill have been writing in sb
theywill have been writing in sb

Conditional

Present

Iwould be writing in sb
youwould be writing in sb
he;she;itwould be writing in sb
wewould be writing in sb
youwould be writing in sb
theywould be writing in sb

Perfect

Iwould have been writing in sb
youwould have been writing in sb
he;she;itwould have been writing in sb
wewould have been writing in sb
youwould have been writing in sb
theywould have been writing in sb

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'write'

overwrite, rewrite, smite, typewrite, underwrite, write,

Verbs similar to 'write'

waite, white, wite, writhe, wrote, arise, bite, bribe, bride, brine,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

form letters, words or symbols in order to communicate
scribble
send (a letter) to
post
fill in, complete
sit
to form letters, words or symbols on a surface in order to communicate
handwrite
to compose text
pen
inscribe
engross, scrawl, scribe, sign, print, letter, indite
compose
draft, formulate, record

Antonyms

compose
discompose, disarrange, scatter, disperse

Additional Information

Etymology

1. O.E. writan "to score, outline, draw the figure of," later "to set down in writing" (class I strong verb; past tense wrat, pp. writen), from P.Gmc. *writanan "tear, scratch" (cf. O.Fris. writa "to write," O.S. writan "to tear, scratch, write," O.N. rita "write, scratch, outline," O.H.G. rizan "to write, scratch, tear," Ger. reißen "to tear, pull, tug, sketch, draw, design"), outside connections doubtful. Words for "write" in most I.E languages originally mean "carve, scratch, cut" (cf. L. scribere, Gk. grapho, Skt. rikh-); a few originally meant "paint" (cf. Goth. meljan, O.C.S. pisati, and most of the modern Slavic cognates).
"For men use to write an evill turne in marble stone, but a good turne in the dust." [More, 1513]
To write (something) off (1682) originally was from accounting; fig. sense is recorded from 1889. Write-in "unlisted candidate" is recorded from 1932.
2. From Middle English writen, from Old English wrītan, from Proto-West Germanic *wrītan, from Proto-Germanic *wrītaną (“to carve, write”), from Proto-Indo-European *wrey- (“to rip, tear”).
3. Cognate with West Frisian write (“to wear by rubbing, rip, tear”), Dutch wrijten (“to argue, quarrel”), Middle Low German wrîten (“to scratch, draw, write”) (> Low German wrieten, rieten (“to tear, split”)), German reißen (“to tear, rip”), Norwegian rita (“to rough-sketch, carve, write”), Swedish rita (“to draw, design, delineate, model”), Icelandic ríta, rita (“to inscribe, sketch, write”), German ritzen (“to carve, scratch”), Proto-Slavic *ryti (“to carve, engrave, dig”), Polish ryć (“to engrave, dig”), Czech rýt (“to engrave, dig”). See also rit and rat. See: Middle English 'writen', Proto-Germanic '*wrītaną', Dutch 'wrijten', Low Saxon 'wrieten', German, old spelling 'reißen', Swedish 'rita', Icelandic 'rita', German, old spelling 'ritzen', Proto-Slavic '*ryti', Polish 'ryć', Czech 'rýt'.

Verbs referencing "write"

German, old spelling reißen, Albanian shkruaj, Tok Pisin raitim.

Sample Sentences

  • She was seated in a little enclosure, made by school-desks and forms, writing her daily journal. But soon finishing this pursuit, she engaged in an animated conversation with a teacher who sat beside her. This was a favourite mistress with the poor pupil. If she could see [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • I have extracted a few disjointed fragments of her history, from an account, written by that one man who has made her what she is. It is a very beautiful and touching narrative; and I wish I could present it entire. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • ‘“ But wonderful as is the rapidity with which she writes her thoughts upon the air, still more so is the ease and accuracy with which she reads the words thus written by another; grasping their hands in hers, and following every movement of their [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • ‘“ But wonderful as is the rapidity with which she writes her thoughts upon the air, still more so is the ease and accuracy with which she reads the words thus written by another; grasping their hands in hers, and following every movement of their fingers, as letter after letter conveys their meaning to her mind. It is in this way that she converses with her [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • Such are a few fragments from the simple but most interesting and instructive history of Laura Bridgman. The name of her great benefactor and friend, who writes it, is Dr. Howe. There are not many persons, I hope and believe, who, after reading these passages, can ever hear that name with indifference. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • I turned over the leaves of her Diary, and found it written in a fair legible square hand, and expressed in terms which were quite intelligible without any explanation. On my saying that I should like to see her write again, the teacher who sat beside her, [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] thrice. In doing so, I observed that she kept her left hand always touching, and following up, her right, in which, of course, she held the pen. No line was indicated by any contrivance, but she wrote straight and freely. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] Boston. I was much surprised at first, too, to observe that the counsel who interrogated the witness under examination at the time, did so sitting. But seeing that he was also occupied in writing down the answers, and remembering that he was alone and had no ‘junior, ’ I quickly consoled myself with the reflection that law was not quite so expensive an article here, as at home; and that the [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] the inquiry still further, and found that the Transcendentalists are followers of my friend Mr. Carlyle, or I should rather say, of a follower of his, Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson. This gentleman has written a volume of Essays, in which, among much that is dreamy and fanciful (if he will pardon me for saying so ), there is much more that is true and manly, honest and bold. Transcendentalism has its [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] Secondly, nearly all these young ladies subscribe to circulating libraries. Thirdly, they have got up among themselves a periodical called THE LOWELL OFFERING, ‘A repository of original articles, written exclusively by females actively employed in the mills,’—which is duly printed, published, and sold; and whereof I brought away from Lowell four hundred good solid pages, which I have read from [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • You know, Hemingway wrote, " The world breaks everyone, (The Crow)
  • [Claire] Dear friends, fifty years ago, I went to Juliet's house in Verona. I wrote her a letter and I asked her a question. (Letters to Juliet)
  • I thought that's what I wrote in the scratch, all these years. (This Is the Zodiac Speaking)
  • the kid had hit written all over him. (Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties)