Drank and Drunk: What Is the Difference? (2026)

Drank and drunk are two forms of the verb drink. They look very similar, so many English learners are unsure about when to use each one.

The main reason for the confusion is simple: drank is the simple past form, while drunk is the past participle. They are both connected to the same action, but they are used in different sentence structures.

Once you understand this small difference, choosing between drank and drunk becomes much easier.

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Quick Answer

Here is the easiest way to remember the difference:

• Drink = present form
• Drank = simple past form
• Drunk = past participle form
• Use drank when talking about a completed action in the past.
• Use drunk with helping verbs such as have, has, had, and sometimes be in passive or special constructions.
• I drank water yesterday. ✔️
• I have drunk water today. ✔️
• I have drank water today. ❌
• She drank coffee this morning. ✔️
• She has drunk coffee already. ✔️

A useful pattern is:

drink → drank → drunk

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The Simple Background of Drink, Drank, and Drunk

The word drink is an old English verb that has been used for a very long time. Like many common English verbs, it does not form its past tense by simply adding -ed.

For example:

• walk → walked
• play → played
• clean → cleaned

But drink changes its form:

• drink → drank → drunk

These three forms have different jobs.

Drink

Drink is the basic form. It is normally used for the present tense.

Examples:

• I drink tea every morning.
• They drink water after exercise.
• She likes to drink juice.

Drank

Drank is the simple past form of drink.

Examples:

• I drank tea yesterday.
• He drank a glass of water.
• We drank coffee before class.

Drunk

Drunk is the past participle of drink.

It usually appears with a helping verb:

• I have drunk enough water.
• She has drunk her juice.
• They had drunk all the milk.

So, the three forms are easy to remember:

Drink → Drank → Drunk

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Drank: When Should You Use It?

Use drank when you are talking about something that happened in the past.

The action is usually finished, and you are simply stating what happened.

Examples

• I drank tea this morning.
• She drank a glass of milk.
• We drank coffee after lunch.
• He drank all the water.
• They drank juice at the party.

You can often use a specific past-time expression with drank.

For example:

• yesterday
• last night
• this morning
• two hours ago
• last week
• when I was young

Example

I drank coffee yesterday.

The word yesterday clearly places the action in the past, so drank is correct.

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Drunk: When Should You Use It?

Drunk is the past participle of drink. It normally needs a helping verb.

Common helping verbs include:

• have
• has
• had

Examples

• I have drunk enough water.
• She has drunk her tea.
• They have drunk all the juice.
• He had drunk the milk before I arrived.

The important pattern is:

have/has/had + drunk

Compare These Sentences

I drank the water.

This uses the simple past.

I have drunk the water.

This uses the present perfect.

Both sentences talk about drinking, but their grammar is different.

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Drank vs. Drunk: Easy Comparison Table

Word	Grammar Form	Main Use	Example
Drink	Base form	Present or after certain verbs	I drink tea every day.
Drank	Simple past	A finished past action	I drank tea yesterday.
Drunk	Past participle	With have, has, or had	I have drunk tea already.

Another simple way to remember it:

Sentence	Correct?
I drink water every day.	✔️
I drank water yesterday.	✔️
I have drunk water today.	✔️
I have drank water today.	❌
She drank coffee last night.	✔️
She has drunk coffee already.	✔️
They had drunk the juice before dinner.	✔️

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Which One Should You Use and When?

The easiest way to choose between drank and drunk is to look at the words around it.

Use “drank” for a simple past action

Use drank when you are simply saying that something happened in the past.

Example:

Tom drank some water after the game.

There is no helping verb before drank.

Use “drunk” after have, has, or had

Use drunk when the sentence uses a perfect tense.

Examples:

Tom has drunk some water.

Tom had drunk some water before the game.

A quick test is:

Have/has/had + ____?

The answer should be drunk.

• have drunk ✔️
• has drunk ✔️
• had drunk ✔️

Not:

• have drank ❌
• has drank ❌
• had drank ❌

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Common Mistakes People Make

1. Using “drank” after “have”

A very common mistake is:

I have drank the juice. ❌

The correct sentence is:

I have drunk the juice. ✔️

Remember:

have + drunk

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2. Using “drunk” by itself for the simple past

Some learners say:

I drunk coffee yesterday. ❌

The correct sentence is:

I drank coffee yesterday. ✔️

When there is no helping verb and you are talking about a completed past action, use drank.

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3. Mixing up the three forms

It can help to memorize the whole group rather than only two words:

drink → drank → drunk

For example:

• I drink tea every day.
• I drank tea yesterday.
• I have drunk tea already.

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4. Thinking “drunk” is always about alcohol

The word drunk can also be the past participle of drink.

For example:

She has drunk three glasses of water.

Here, drunk simply means that she consumed the water. It does not mean she is intoxicated.

The word drunk can also be an adjective meaning affected by alcohol, but that is a different use.

For example:

He was drunk.

So, always look at the sentence to understand which meaning is intended.

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Everyday Real-Life Examples

In Emails

You might write:

I drank some coffee before the meeting.

Or:

I have drunk enough water for today.

The first sentence describes a past action. The second uses the present perfect.

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In News

A report might say:

The athlete drank water after the race.

Or:

The player had drunk several bottles of water before the interview.

The correct form depends on the sentence structure and time being described.

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On Social Media

Someone might post:

I drank three cups of coffee today!

Another person might write:

I’ve drunk so much coffee that I don’t need another cup.

Both can be correct. The grammar pattern is different.

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In Daily Conversation

Person A: Did you drink anything?

Person B: Yes, I drank some juice.

Later, the same person might say:

I have drunk all my juice.

Notice the difference:

drank = simple past

have drunk = present perfect

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A Simple Learning Trick for Students

Students can remember drank and drunk with one easy rule:

“Drank” stands alone for the past.

I drank.

“Drunk” usually needs a helper.

I have drunk.

Think of drunk as a form that often travels with a helping verb.

Practice

Complete these sentences:

1. I ______ milk yesterday.
2. She has ______ her tea.
3. They ______ water after the match.
4. We have ______ enough juice.
5. He ______ coffee this morning.

Answers:

1. drank
2. drunk
3. drank
4. drunk
5. drank

Try making your own sentences with the three forms:

• I drink…
• Yesterday, I drank…
• I have drunk…

This simple practice can make the difference much easier to remember.

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FAQs:

1. Is “drank” the past tense of drink?

Yes. Drank is the simple past form of drink.

Example:

I drank water yesterday.

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2. Is “drunk” the past tense of drink?

Not exactly. Drunk is the past participle of drink.

It is normally used with helping verbs such as have, has, or had.

Example:

I have drunk some water.

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3. Is “I have drank” correct?

In standard English, the usual correct form is:

I have drunk.

Not:

I have drank.

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4. Is “I drank water” correct?

Yes. I drank water is correct when you are using the simple past.

Example:

I drank water after the workout.

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5. Can “drunk” be used without “have”?

Yes, but its use depends on the sentence. Drunk can also be an adjective, as in:

He was drunk.

As the past participle of drink, however, it normally appears with a helping verb in standard constructions.

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6. What is the correct form: “has drank” or “has drunk”?

The correct form is:

has drunk

Example:

She has drunk all the water.

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7. What are the three forms of drink?

The three main forms are:

drink – drank – drunk

• Present: drink
• Simple past: drank
• Past participle: drunk

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8. How can I remember drank and drunk?

Use this simple rule:

Past alone = drank
Have/has/had = drunk

Examples:

I drank tea yesterday.

I have drunk tea already.

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Conclusion

The difference between drank and drunk becomes simple once you remember their grammar forms.Drank is the simple past form of drink. Use it when you are talking about a completed action in the past:

I drank water yesterday.

Drunk is the past participle form. It is normally used with helping verbs such as have, has, or had:

I have drunk water today.

The easiest pattern to memorize is:

drink → drank → drunk

When talking about a simple past action, choose drank. When using have, has, or had, choose drunk.

Once you practice a few examples, this common English confusion becomes much easier to avoid.