"Had" is a fundamental verb in English grammar, forming the past perfect tense ("had done"). It also appears in idiomatic expressions and is vital for storytelling and past-tense narration.
Word 'had' in Other Languages
- had in Assamese অসমীয়া
- had in Bengali বাংলা
- had in Bodo बड़ो
- had in Dogri डोगरी
- had in English
- had in Gujarati ગુજરાતી
- had in Hindi हिन्दी
- had in Kannada ಕನ್ನಡ
- had in Kashmiri कॉशुर
- had in Konkani कोंकणी
- had in Maithili মৈথিলী
- had in Malayalam മലയാളം
- had in Manipuri মৈতৈলোন্
- had in Marathi मराठी
- had in Nepali नेपाली
- had in Oriya ଓଡ଼ିଆ
- had in Punjabi ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
- had in Sanskrit संस्कृतम्
- had in Santali
- had in Sindhi سنڌي
- had in Tamil தமிழ்
- had in Telugu తెలుగు
- had in Urdu اُردُو
Had
Part of Speech
Verb (past tense of "have")
Pronunciation
IPA: /hæd/
Definitions
- Past tense of "have," used to indicate possession or experience.
- Used in forming the past perfect tense.
- Colloquially, can mean being tricked or deceived (e.g., "I was had").
Usage Examples
- "She had a wonderful time at the party."
- "By the time we arrived, they had already left."
- "I realized too late that I had been had."
Etymology
Derived from Old English "hæfde," the past tense of "habban" (to have). Related to German "hatte" and Dutch "had."
Synonyms
- Owned
- Possessed
- Held
- Experienced
Antonyms
- Lacked
- Missed
- Lost
Translations
| Language | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| French | avait | /a.vɛ/ |
| German | hatte | /ˈhatə/ |
| Spanish | tenía | /teˈni.a/ |
| Russian | имел | /iˈmʲel/ |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 有过 | yǒu guò |
| Hindi | था | thā |
| Japanese | 持っていた | motte ita |
Regional Pronunciation Variations
In American English, "had" is often pronounced with a short, clear "a," while in British English, it may be softer and less stressed in conversational speech.
Historical Usage
Originally used in Old English to express possession and necessity, "had" became an essential auxiliary verb in Middle English for constructing perfect tenses.
Cultural Nuances
In informal speech, "had" can indicate deception, as in "I was had." It also plays a crucial role in idioms like "had enough" (meaning tired of something).