help – English verb conjugation

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to help sb to sth
Participle: helped sb to sth
Gerund: helping sb to sth

Cognates

See the 8 cognates of help

Indicative

Present

I	help sb to sth
you	help sb to sth
he;she;it	helps sb to sth
we	help sb to sth
you	help sb to sth
they	help sb to sth

Perfect

I	have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
he;she;it	has helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
we	have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
they	have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth

Past

I	helped sb to sth
you	helped sb to sth
he;she;it	helped sb to sth
we	helped sb to sth
you	helped sb to sth
they	helped sb to sth

Pluperfect

I	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
he;she;it	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
we	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
they	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth

Future

I	will help sb to sth
you	will help sb to sth
he;she;it	will help sb to sth
we	will help sb to sth
you	will help sb to sth
they	will help sb to sth

Future Perfect

I	will have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	will have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
he;she;it	will have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
we	will have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	will have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
they	will have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth

Subjunctive

Present

I	help sb to sth
you	help sb to sth
he;she;it	help sb to sth
we	help sb to sth
you	help sb to sth
they	help sb to sth

Perfect

I	have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
he;she;it	have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
we	have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
they	have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth

Imperfect

I	helped sb to sth
you	helped sb to sth
he;she;it	helped sb to sth
we	helped sb to sth
you	helped sb to sth
they	helped sb to sth

Pluperfect

I	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
he;she;it	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
we	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
they	had helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth

Conditional

Present

I	would help sb to sth
you	would help sb to sth
he;she;it	would help sb to sth
we	would help sb to sth
you	would help sb to sth
they	would help sb to sth

Perfect

I	would have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	would have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
he;she;it	would have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
we	would have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
you	would have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth
they	would have helped sb to sth; holp sb to sth; holpen sb to sth

Imperative

you	help sb to sth
we	Let's help sb to sth
you	help sb to sth

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

I	am helping sb to sth
you	are helping sb to sth
he;she;it	is helping sb to sth
we	are helping sb to sth
you	are helping sb to sth
they	are helping sb to sth

Perfect

I	have been helping sb to sth
you	have been helping sb to sth
he;she;it	has been helping sb to sth
we	have been helping sb to sth
you	have been helping sb to sth
they	have been helping sb to sth

Past

I	was helping sb to sth
you	were helping sb to sth
he;she;it	was helping sb to sth
we	were helping sb to sth
you	were helping sb to sth
they	were helping sb to sth

Pluperfect

I	had been helping sb to sth
you	had been helping sb to sth
he;she;it	had been helping sb to sth
we	had been helping sb to sth
you	had been helping sb to sth
they	had been helping sb to sth

Future

I	will be helping sb to sth
you	will be helping sb to sth
he;she;it	will be helping sb to sth
we	will be helping sb to sth
you	will be helping sb to sth
they	will be helping sb to sth

Future Perfect

I	will have been helping sb to sth
you	will have been helping sb to sth
he;she;it	will have been helping sb to sth
we	will have been helping sb to sth
you	will have been helping sb to sth
they	will have been helping sb to sth

Conditional

Present

I	would be helping sb to sth
you	would be helping sb to sth
he;she;it	would be helping sb to sth
we	would be helping sb to sth
you	would be helping sb to sth
they	would be helping sb to sth

Perfect

I	would have been helping sb to sth
you	would have been helping sb to sth
he;she;it	would have been helping sb to sth
we	would have been helping sb to sth
you	would have been helping sb to sth
they	would have been helping sb to sth

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'help'

abandon, abduct, abear, aberr, abject, abord, abort, abound, abraid, abray, abrook, abscind, abscond, absist, absorb, abstain, abstract, accend, accent, accept, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)

Verbs similar to 'help'

chelp, halp, heap, hele, hell, helm, helpe, hep, whelp, yelp,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

provide assistance: assist
help or assist: grip
to provide assistance to someone or something: abet, aid, assist, befriend, bestead, come to someone's aid, give someone a hand, grip, help out, lend a hand, lend a helping hand, mend, relieve, stead, succor, succour, support, sustain
to provide assistance: assist, chip in, help out, muck in, pitch in
aid: abet, assist, support, uphold, back, befriend, encourage, cooperate
ease: foster, further, promote, facilitate
relieve: alleviate, cure, heal, improve, remedy, restore, better, correct
avoid: forbear

Antonyms

to make difficult to accomplish; to frustrate, act as obstacle: abet, assist, expedite, facilitate, further, hurdle, nurture, hinder
to provide assistance to someone or something: hinder, hurt
to have a contrary or opposing effect or force on: abet, assist, reinforce, support, sustain, counteract
aid: hinder, impede, obstruct, thwart
ease: uneasiness, turmoil, unrest, effort
avoid: face, meet, confront, encounter

Additional Information

Phrasal Verbs

~ something along, ~ somebody off with something, ~ somebody on with something, ~ out (somebody), ~ (somebody) out, ~ somebody to something,

Etymology

1. O.E. helpan (class III strong verb; past tense healp, pp. holpen), from P.Gmc. *khelpanan (cf. O.N. hjalpa, O.Fris. helpa, Du. helpen, Ger. helfen), from PIE base *kelb-/*kelp- "to help" (cf. Lith. selpiu "to support, help"). Sense of "serve someone with foot at table" (1688) is translated from Fr. servir "to help, stead, avail," and led to helping "portion of food" (1824). Use of help as euphemism for "servant" is Amer.Eng., 1645, tied up in notions of class and race.

"A domestic servant of American birth, and without negro blood in his or her veins ... is not a servant, but a 'help.' 'Help wanted,' is the common heading of advertisements in the North, when servants are required." [Chas. Mackay, "Life and Liberty in America," 1859].

The M.E. pp. holpen survives in biblical and U.S. dial. use.
2. From Middle English helpen, from Old English helpan (“to help, aid, assist, benefit, relieve, cure”), from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, Proto-Germanic *helpaną (“to help”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”).
3. Cognate with North Frisian halep, heelpe, help (“to help”), Saterland Frisian hälpe (“to help”), West Frisian helpe (“to help”), Cimbrian hölfan (“to help”), Dutch helpen (“to help”), German helfen (“to help”), Low German helpen, hölpen, hülpen (“to help”), Luxembourgish hëllefen (“to help”), Yiddish העלפֿן (helfn, “to help”), Danish hjælpe (“to help”), Faroese and Icelandic hjálpa (“to help”), Norwegian Bokmål hjelpe (“to help”), Norwegian Nynorsk hjelpa, hjelpe (“to help”), Swedish hjälpa (“to help”), Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌻𐍀𐌰𐌽 (hilpan, “to help”), Lithuanian šelpti (“to help, support”). See: Middle English 'helpen', Old English 'helpan', Proto-Germanic '*helpaną', Frisian, Saterlandic 'hälpe', Cimbrian 'hölfan', Dutch 'helpen', German, old spelling 'helfen', Low Saxon 'helpen', Luxembourgish 'hëllefen', Danish 'hjælpe', Norwegian 'hjelpe', Norwegian, nynorsk 'hjelpa', Swedish 'hjälpa'.

Verbs referencing "help"

German, old spelling helfen, Ido helpar, Esperanto helpi, Finnish with old forms kelvata, Sranan yepi, Danish hjælpe, Luxembourgish hëllefen, Norwegian, nynorsk hjelpa, Low Saxon hölpen, Cimbrian hölfan.

Sample Sentences

There was something so piquant and original in these elucidations of humanity, that Mr. Shelby could not help laughing in company. Perhaps you laugh too, dear reader; but you know humanity comes out in a variety of strange forms now-a-days, and there is no end to the odd things that humane people will say [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
“ Give way, George; go with him for the present. We'll try to help you, yet. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
It is a great and pleasant feature of all such institutions in America, that they are either supported by the State or assisted by the State; or (in the event of their not needing its helping hand ) that they act in concert with it, and are emphatically the people 's. I cannot but think, with a view to the principle and its tendency to elevate or depress the character of the industrious [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
[...] teapot, and expires next day. Then it turns out, that the whole of the real and personal estate is divided between half-a-dozen charities; and that the dead and gone testator has in pure spite helped to do a great deal of good, at the cost of an immense amount of evil passion and misery. (American Notes for General Circulation)
[...] ” said he, straightening himself up; “ and when I 'm there, I'll buy you; that's all the hope that's left us. You have a kind master, that won't refuse to sell you. I'll buy you and the boy; — God helping me, I will ! ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
[...] thought it would aggravate ’ Shelby's folks, ’ as he calls ’ em. I 'm going home quite resigned, you understand, as if all was over. I 've got some preparations made,—and there are those that will help me; and, in the course of a week or so, I shall be among the missing, some day. Pray for me, Eliza; perhaps the good Lord will hear _you_. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
“ I know it,—I dare say; — but what's the use of all this ? — I can't help myself. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
[...] feel so about it,—indeed I am, ” said Mr. Shelby; “ and I respect your feelings, too, though I don't pretend to share them to their full extent; but I tell you now, solemnly, it's of no use—I can't help myself. I didn't mean to tell you this Emily; but, in plain words, there is no choice between selling these two and selling everything. Either they must go, or _all_ must. Haley has come into [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
“ I don't want to hear such sermons; I never wish to hear Mr. B. in our church again. Ministers can't help the evil, perhaps,—can't cure it, any more than we can,—but defend it ! — it always went against my common sense. And I think you didn't think much of that sermon, either. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
“ No, no, ” said Mrs. Shelby; “ I'll be in no sense accomplice or help in this cruel business. I'll go and see poor old Tom, God help him, in his distress ! They shall see, at any rate, that their mistress can feel for and with them. As to Eliza, I dare not think about it. The Lord forgive us ! What have we done, that this cruel [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
That's the point. So, I might as well fake it too. Miss Italia is helping me to be something. (Miss Italy Must Not Die)
[ Tommy ] I'll tell you where he goes. Back to the community centre with me, and he helps me clean out those drains. (I Swear)
♪ And maybe Jesus as well ♪ ♪ For helping me turn my shed into a kitty cat hotel ♪ (Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties)

help – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of help

Nominal Forms

Cognates

Indicative

Present

Perfect

Past

Pluperfect

Future

Future Perfect

Subjunctive

Present

Perfect

Imperfect

Pluperfect

Conditional

Present

Perfect

Imperative

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Perfect

Past

Pluperfect

Future

Future Perfect

Conditional

Present

Perfect

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'help'

Verbs similar to 'help'

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Additional Information

Phrasal Verbs

Etymology

Verbs referencing "help"

Sample Sentences