write – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of write

Nominal Forms

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

Cognates

See the 4 cognates of write

Indicative

Present

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

Perfect

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

Past

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

Pluperfect

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

Future

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

Future Perfect

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

Subjunctive

Present

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

Perfect

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

Imperfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Conditional

Present

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

Perfect

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

Imperative

youwrite sb up
weLet's write sb up
youwrite sb up

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

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

Perfect

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

Past

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

Pluperfect

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

Future

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

Future Perfect

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

Conditional

Present

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

Perfect

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

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)