0
New2grammar Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

hang, hanged/hung, hanged/hung

0What's the past tense of hang, hanged or hung?02br
02br
00I often hear "You hung up on me" instead of "You hanged up on me"02br
02br
00On contrary, I hear02br
02br
00"She hanged herself by the neck" instead of "She hung herself by the neck"02br
02br
00My computer hanged/hung this morning when I tried to get online. (I have heard both versions)02br
02br
00Thanks in advance!0-
  

Top answer

02br 02br 01i 00The judge said they're going to hang me. 02i 00 I guess I should look this up. The past tense is usually used in the passive.

— Avangi

  • 02br 02br 01i 00The judge said they're going to hang me.
  • 02i 00 I guess I should look this up.
  • The past tense is usually used in the passive.
  • "0-
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

16 Answers
0
0Hi N2g,02br
02br
00These are two completely different verbs The infinitives and the present simple are the same, but the rest is different.02br
02br
00I hung up the phone, and hung a couple of pictures.02br
02br
01i00The judge said they're going to hang me. I will be hanged first thing in the morning.02i00 I guess
0
0
0hang hung hung (used in relation to hanging things)02br
02br
00hang hanged hanged (used in relation to death by hanging)0-
0
0
0Wow. Two different verbs? So which one would you use for a dead computer, my computer hung/hanged this morning? If based on your distinction of animate vs inanimate things, the answer should be hung (inanimate), am I right? 0-
0
0
0Affirmative.02br
02br
00I don't know how reliable your animate vs inanimate may be. For sure, inamimate things (incl. computers) are hung, or hung up; but I don't think you'd say "the gorilla was hanged." You could hang a guy up on a meathook, living or dead (that may be macabre, but it's not gallows humor.) A human type person can be hung up in traffic. I think "hanged"
0
0
0Yes, use "hung" for your computer and your phone. 0-
0
0
0Oh well, wrong again.02br
02br
00My American Heritage treates the two uses as being the same verb, with a different past, and past participle, when it applies to capital punishment. They don't mention murder or suicide, but I know I've heard "he hanged himself" many times. (once per person, please)02br
02br
00The famous "Usage Panel" is split on accepti
0
0
1i00Hanged02i00, as a past tense and a past participle of 01i00hang02i00, is used in the sense of "to put to death by hanging," as in 01i00Frontier courts hanged many a prisoner after a summary trial02i00. A majority of the Usage Panel objects to 01i00hung02i00 used in this sense. In all other senses of the w
0
0
0Thanks everyone. In summary, it's advised to use 'hang/hung/hung' in contexts other than capital punishment by hanging, right?0-
0
0
0I'd say any death by hanging, but yes.0-
0
0
0My mistake. Thanks GG.0-
0

Related Questions