Drank vs Drunk
Many English learners confuse drank vs drunk because both words come from the verb drink. The difference is simple: drank is the simple past tense, while drunk is the past participle. Knowing when to use each one helps you speak and write correct English in conversations, emails, school assignments, and professional settings.
What Is the Difference Between Drank and Drunk?
The verb drink has three main forms:
| Base Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| drink | drank | drunk |
- Drink = present tense
- Drank = simple past
- Drunk = past participle
Quick examples
✅ I drink coffee every morning.
✅ I drank coffee yesterday.
✅ I have drunk coffee already today.
The biggest mistake people make is using drunk by itself without a helping verb.
When to Use “Drank”
Use drank when talking about an action that happened and finished in the past.
Formula
Subject + drank + object
Examples
- I drank two glasses of water.
- She drank orange juice before school.
- We drank tea during the meeting.
- They drank milk with dinner.
- He drank too much soda yesterday.
These sentences describe completed actions.
When to Use “Drunk”
Use drunk only as the past participle. It normally comes after helping verbs such as:
- has
- have
- had
- was
- were
- be
- being
Formula
Subject + has/have/had + drunk
Examples
- I have drunk enough water today.
- She has drunk all the juice.
- They had drunk coffee before class.
- We have never drunk coconut water.
- He had already drunk his tea.
Without a helping verb, drunk is usually incorrect when referring to the verb drink.
Why Does English Have Two Different Words?
English verbs often have three forms.
Some verbs use the same word for both the past tense and past participle.
Example:
- walk
- walked
- walked
Other verbs change.
Example:
- write
- wrote
- written
The verb drink belongs to this second group.
- drink
- drank
- drunk
Learning all three forms helps you build correct sentences.
Easy Trick to Remember
Ask yourself one question.
Is there a helping verb?
If no, use drank.
✅ I drank water.
If yes, use drunk.
✅ I have drunk water.
This simple trick works almost every time.
Drank vs Drunk Comparison Table
| Drank | Drunk |
|---|---|
| Past tense | Past participle |
| Used alone | Used with helping verbs |
| Describes finished past actions | Used in perfect tenses and passive structures |
| “I drank coffee.” | “I have drunk coffee.” |
Drank vs Drunk in Everyday English
At School
✅ I drank my juice during lunch.
✅ I have never drunk energy drinks.
At Work
✅ She drank coffee before the meeting.
✅ We had already drunk our coffee before the presentation.
In an Email
✅ I drank plenty of water after the conference.
✅ I have drunk enough water today.
On Social Media
✅ We drank bubble tea after class.
✅ I’ve drunk way too much coffee this week.
American English vs British English
Both American English and British English recognize drunk as the past participle.
However, many American speakers often say:
“I’ve drank too much coffee.”
Although common in casual speech, many grammar experts consider this nonstandard. In formal writing and standard grammar, use:
✅ I’ve drunk too much coffee.
Can “Drunk” Be an Adjective?
Yes.
Besides being the past participle of drink, drunk is also an adjective meaning intoxicated.
Examples
- He is drunk.
- Don’t drive if you’re drunk.
- The police stopped a drunk driver.
Here, drunk is not acting as the verb.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1
❌ I have drank enough water.
✅ I have drunk enough water.
Why?
After have, use the past participle drunk.
Mistake 2
❌ Yesterday I drunk coffee.
✅ Yesterday I drank coffee.
Why?
Yesterday refers to the simple past.
Mistake 3
❌ She had drank tea before work.
✅ She had drunk tea before work.
Why?
After had, use drunk.
Mistake 4
❌ We drunk lemonade yesterday.
✅ We drank lemonade yesterday.
Why?
No helping verb is present.
Mistake
❌ Have you drank your water?
✅ Have you drunk your water?
Why?
Perfect tenses always use the past participle.
Drank vs Drunk Compared with Similar Verbs
Many irregular verbs follow the same pattern.
| Base Verb | Past | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| sing | sang | sung |
| ring | rang | rung |
| begin | began | begun |
| drink | drank | drunk |
If you know these patterns, English becomes much easier.
Grammar Rule Summary
Remember these simple rules.
- Use drank for the simple past.
- Use drunk after helping verbs.
- Drunk can also be an adjective.
- Never use drunk alone for a completed past action.
- Learn all three verb forms together.
Real-Life Examples
Conversation
A: Did you drink enough water?
B: Yes, I drank three bottles.
Office
Our team had drunk coffee before the meeting started.
Restaurant
She drank fresh lemonade with her meal.
Family
The children had already drunk their milk.
Sports
The players drank water during halftime.
Travel
We had drunk plenty of water before hiking.
Practice Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
- I ________ a glass of milk last night.
- She has ________ all the orange juice.
- We ________ coffee before class yesterday.
- They had ________ enough water before the race.
- He ________ tea every afternoon.
Answers
- drank
- drunk
- drank
- drunk
- drinks
Explanation
- Drank is used for completed past actions.
- Drunk follows helping verbs like has and had.
- Drinks is the present tense for habitual actions.
Multiple Choice
1. Which sentence is correct?
A. I have drank coffee.
B. I have drunk coffee.
✅ Answer: B
2. Which sentence uses the simple past?
A. She had drunk tea.
B. She drank tea.
✅ Answer: B
3. Which sentence is correct?
A. Yesterday we drunk milk.
B. Yesterday we drank milk.
✅ Answer: B
Correct the Mistakes
- I have drank enough water.
- Yesterday she drunk tea.
- They had drank coffee before work.
Answers
- I have drunk enough water.
- Yesterday she drank tea.
- They had drunk coffee before work.
Rewrite the Sentence
Rewrite using the correct verb form.
- I have drank too much coffee.
Answer
I have drunk too much coffee.
- Yesterday I drunk orange juice.
Answer
Yesterday I drank orange juice.
Quick Tips
- Drank = simple past.
- Drunk = past participle.
- Look for helping verbs like have, has, and had.
- If there’s no helping verb and the action happened in the past, choose drank.
- Remember that drunk can also describe someone who is intoxicated.
Conclusion
Understanding drank vs drunk is easier once you remember their roles. Use drank for actions completed in the past, and use drunk after helping verbs in perfect tenses. Although you may hear “I’ve drank” in casual conversation, standard English uses “I’ve drunk.” Practicing these forms in everyday writing and speech will help you sound more confident and accurate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is it “I have drank” or “I have drunk”?
The correct form is I have drunk because drunk is the past participle.
Is “Yesterday I drunk coffee” correct?
No. The correct sentence is Yesterday I drank coffee.
Why do people say “I’ve drank”?
Some native speakers use it in informal speech, especially in certain dialects. Standard English prefers I’ve drunk.
Can “drunk” be an adjective?
Yes. It can describe someone who is intoxicated.
Example:
He is drunk.
Is “drank” ever used after “have”?
No. After have, has, or had, use drunk.
What are the three forms of “drink”?
- Drink
- Drank
- Drunk
Is “drunk” always about alcohol?
No. As a verb, it refers to drinking any liquid. As an adjective, it usually means intoxicated by alcohol.
