What does gave mean?
Gave is the simple past tense and past participle of give, one of the most familiar irregular verbs in English. It describes an act of transferring something, as in giving away books, handing over keys, or donating money to a cause. Its meaning can also extend to supplying information, making a concession, yielding control, or producing a particular response. For example, a person gave an explanation, gave up a seat, or gave permission. The word has no special regional status: it is used in standard formal and informal British and American English. Although its meanings vary with context, gave normally reports a completed action or describes an action in progress when combined with forms such as was giving. The expression gave up commonly means to cease trying, while gave way to indicates replacement, concession, or priority. Familiar expressions include gave rise to, meaning caused or resulted in, and gave in, meaning resisted for a time before yielding. The irregular relationship between give and gave is a characteristic feature of English verb morphology.
verbGave is the simple past tense and past participle of give, used to mean handed, transferred, yielded, provided, or delivered something. In formal archaic English, it also served as the second-person singular present form used with thou.
- Transferred or handed something to someone.
- Provided, delivered, or supplied something.
- Yielded, relinquished, or surrendered something, such as control or a position.
- Expressed or communicated a statement, sound, or response.
- Conceded or granted a point, permission, or advantage.
"She gave the proceeds to a local charity."
"The witness gave a detailed account of the accident."
"After several minutes of resistance, the committee gave in and approved the proposal."
Give and gave are the same verb in different clothes: one requests an action, while the other reports that it has already happened.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gave come from?
Gave descends from the Old English verb giefan, meaning “to give,” whose past singular form gaf later developed into Middle English gave. The longer Old English plural past form gaven helped establish the modern -ve form, which belongs to a verb whose present tense is give. Related Germanic languages have cognate forms, including German geben and Dutch geven.
Related word forms
How gave is actually used
Gave is standard in formal and informal British and American English. The expression gave up means stopped trying, abandoned an activity, or relinquished something. The phrase gave way to means was replaced, yielded, or allowed another person or thing to take priority. Archaic expressions such as thou gave are preserved in older religious and literary texts.
Easily confused with gave
Give is the base form of the verb, while gave is its simple past tense and past participle.