help – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of help

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to help sth along
Participle: helped sth along
Gerund: helping sth along

Cognates

See the 8 cognates of help

Indicative

Present

Ihelp sth along
youhelp sth along
he;she;ithelps sth along
wehelp sth along
youhelp sth along
theyhelp sth along

Perfect

Ihave helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youhave helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
he;she;ithas helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
wehave helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youhave helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
theyhave helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along

Past

Ihelped sth along
youhelped sth along
he;she;ithelped sth along
wehelped sth along
youhelped sth along
theyhelped sth along

Pluperfect

Ihad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youhad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
he;she;ithad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
wehad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youhad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
theyhad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along

Future

Iwill help sth along
youwill help sth along
he;she;itwill help sth along
wewill help sth along
youwill help sth along
theywill help sth along

Future Perfect

Iwill have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youwill have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
he;she;itwill have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
wewill have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youwill have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
theywill have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along

Subjunctive

Present

Ihelp sth along
youhelp sth along
he;she;ithelp sth along
wehelp sth along
youhelp sth along
theyhelp sth along

Perfect

Ihave helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youhave helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
he;she;ithave helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
wehave helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youhave helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
theyhave helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along

Imperfect

Ihelped sth along
youhelped sth along
he;she;ithelped sth along
wehelped sth along
youhelped sth along
theyhelped sth along

Pluperfect

Ihad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youhad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
he;she;ithad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
wehad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youhad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
theyhad helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along

Conditional

Present

Iwould help sth along
youwould help sth along
he;she;itwould help sth along
wewould help sth along
youwould help sth along
theywould help sth along

Perfect

Iwould have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youwould have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
he;she;itwould have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
wewould have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
youwould have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along
theywould have helped sth along; holp sth along; holpen sth along

Imperative

youhelp sth along
weLet's help sth along
youhelp sth along

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam helping sth along
youare helping sth along
he;she;itis helping sth along
weare helping sth along
youare helping sth along
theyare helping sth along

Perfect

Ihave been helping sth along
youhave been helping sth along
he;she;ithas been helping sth along
wehave been helping sth along
youhave been helping sth along
theyhave been helping sth along

Past

Iwas helping sth along
youwere helping sth along
he;she;itwas helping sth along
wewere helping sth along
youwere helping sth along
theywere helping sth along

Pluperfect

Ihad been helping sth along
youhad been helping sth along
he;she;ithad been helping sth along
wehad been helping sth along
youhad been helping sth along
theyhad been helping sth along

Future

Iwill be helping sth along
youwill be helping sth along
he;she;itwill be helping sth along
wewill be helping sth along
youwill be helping sth along
theywill be helping sth along

Future Perfect

Iwill have been helping sth along
youwill have been helping sth along
he;she;itwill have been helping sth along
wewill have been helping sth along
youwill have been helping sth along
theywill have been helping sth along

Conditional

Present

Iwould be helping sth along
youwould be helping sth along
he;she;itwould be helping sth along
wewould be helping sth along
youwould be helping sth along
theywould be helping sth along

Perfect

Iwould have been helping sth along
youwould have been helping sth along
he;she;itwould have been helping sth along
wewould have been helping sth along
youwould have been helping sth along
theywould have been helping sth along

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'help'

abandon, abduct, abear, aberr, abject, abord, abort, abound, abraid, abray, abrook, abscind, abscond, absist, absorb, abstain, abstract, accend, accent, accept, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)

Verbs similar to 'help'

chelp, halp, heap, hele, hell, helm, helpe, hep, whelp, yelp,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

provide assistance
assist
help or assist
grip
to provide assistance to someone or something
abet, aid, assist, befriend, bestead, come to someone's aid, give someone a hand, grip, help out, lend a hand, lend a helping hand, mend, relieve, stead, succor, succour, support, sustain
to provide assistance
assist, chip in, help out, muck in, pitch in
aid
abet, assist, support, uphold, back, befriend, encourage, cooperate
ease
foster, further, promote, facilitate
relieve
alleviate, cure, heal, improve, remedy, restore, better, correct
avoid
forbear

Antonyms

to make difficult to accomplish; to frustrate, act as obstacle
abet, assist, expedite, facilitate, further, hurdle, nurture, hinder
to provide assistance to someone or something
hinder, hurt
to have a contrary or opposing effect or force on
abet, assist, reinforce, support, sustain, counteract
aid
hinder, impede, obstruct, thwart
ease
uneasiness, turmoil, unrest, effort
avoid
face, meet, confront, encounter

Additional Information

Etymology

1. O.E. helpan (class III strong verb; past tense healp, pp. holpen), from P.Gmc. *khelpanan (cf. O.N. hjalpa, O.Fris. helpa, Du. helpen, Ger. helfen), from PIE base *kelb-/*kelp- "to help" (cf. Lith. selpiu "to support, help"). Sense of "serve someone with foot at table" (1688) is translated from Fr. servir "to help, stead, avail," and led to helping "portion of food" (1824). Use of help as euphemism for "servant" is Amer.Eng., 1645, tied up in notions of class and race.
"A domestic servant of American birth, and without negro blood in his or her veins ... is not a servant, but a 'help.' 'Help wanted,' is the common heading of advertisements in the North, when servants are required." [Chas. Mackay, "Life and Liberty in America," 1859].
The M.E. pp. holpen survives in biblical and U.S. dial. use.
2. From Middle English helpen, from Old English helpan (“to help, aid, assist, benefit, relieve, cure”), from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, Proto-Germanic *helpaną (“to help”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”).
3. Cognate with North Frisian halep, heelpe, help (“to help”), Saterland Frisian hälpe (“to help”), West Frisian helpe (“to help”), Cimbrian hölfan (“to help”), Dutch helpen (“to help”), German helfen (“to help”), Low German helpen, hölpen, hülpen (“to help”), Luxembourgish hëllefen (“to help”), Yiddish העלפֿן (helfn, “to help”), Danish hjælpe (“to help”), Faroese and Icelandic hjálpa (“to help”), Norwegian Bokmål hjelpe (“to help”), Norwegian Nynorsk hjelpa, hjelpe (“to help”), Swedish hjälpa (“to help”), Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌻𐍀𐌰𐌽 (hilpan, “to help”), Lithuanian šelpti (“to help, support”). See: Middle English 'helpen', Old English 'helpan', Proto-Germanic '*helpaną', Frisian, Saterlandic 'hälpe', Cimbrian 'hölfan', Dutch 'helpen', German, old spelling 'helfen', Low Saxon 'helpen', Luxembourgish 'hëllefen', Danish 'hjælpe', Norwegian 'hjelpe', Norwegian, nynorsk 'hjelpa', Swedish 'hjälpa'.

Verbs referencing "help"

German, old spelling helfen, Ido helpar, Esperanto helpi, Finnish with old forms kelvata, Sranan yepi, Danish hjælpe, Luxembourgish hëllefen, Norwegian, nynorsk hjelpa, Low Saxon hölpen, Cimbrian hölfan.

Sample Sentences

  • There was something so piquant and original in these elucidations of humanity, that Mr. Shelby could not help laughing in company. Perhaps you laugh too, dear reader; but you know humanity comes out in a variety of strange forms now-a-days, and there is no end to the odd things that humane people will say [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ Give way, George; go with him for the present. We'll try to help you, yet. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • It is a great and pleasant feature of all such institutions in America, that they are either supported by the State or assisted by the State; or (in the event of their not needing its helping hand ) that they act in concert with it, and are emphatically the people 's. I cannot but think, with a view to the principle and its tendency to elevate or depress the character of the industrious [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] teapot, and expires next day. Then it turns out, that the whole of the real and personal estate is divided between half-a-dozen charities; and that the dead and gone testator has in pure spite helped to do a great deal of good, at the cost of an immense amount of evil passion and misery. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] ” said he, straightening himself up; “ and when I 'm there, I'll buy you; that's all the hope that's left us. You have a kind master, that won't refuse to sell you. I'll buy you and the boy; — God helping me, I will ! ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] thought it would aggravate ’ Shelby's folks, ’ as he calls ’ em. I 'm going home quite resigned, you understand, as if all was over. I 've got some preparations made,—and there are those that will help me; and, in the course of a week or so, I shall be among the missing, some day. Pray for me, Eliza; perhaps the good Lord will hear _you_. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ I know it,—I dare say; — but what's the use of all this ? — I can't help myself. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] feel so about it,—indeed I am, ” said Mr. Shelby; “ and I respect your feelings, too, though I don't pretend to share them to their full extent; but I tell you now, solemnly, it's of no use—I can't help myself. I didn't mean to tell you this Emily; but, in plain words, there is no choice between selling these two and selling everything. Either they must go, or _all_ must. Haley has come into [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ I don't want to hear such sermons; I never wish to hear Mr. B. in our church again. Ministers can't help the evil, perhaps,—can't cure it, any more than we can,—but defend it ! — it always went against my common sense. And I think you didn't think much of that sermon, either. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ No, no, ” said Mrs. Shelby; “ I'll be in no sense accomplice or help in this cruel business. I'll go and see poor old Tom, God help him, in his distress ! They shall see, at any rate, that their mistress can feel for and with them. As to Eliza, I dare not think about it. The Lord forgive us ! What have we done, that this cruel [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • That's the point. So, I might as well fake it too. Miss Italia is helping me to be something. (Miss Italy Must Not Die)
  • [ Tommy ] I'll tell you where he goes. Back to the community centre with me, and he helps me clean out those drains. (I Swear)
  • ♪ And maybe Jesus as well ♪ ♪ For helping me turn my shed into a kitty cat hotel ♪ (Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties)