# didn

CEFR A1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/didn
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

the short way to write 'did not'. You use it to talk about things that did not happen in the past.

For teachers: the contracted form of 'did not'. Used as an auxiliary to form negative statements in the past simple tense.

## Examples

- I didn't see you at the party last night.
- She didn't finish the report on time because her computer crashed unexpectedly during the final edit.
- While the researchers didn't find a direct correlation between the two variables, they noted several interesting outliers that warranted further investigation in future studies.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I didn't went" but "I didn't go" — After 'didn't', the main verb must be in its base form, not the past tense.

## Usage notes

- The auxiliary is followed by the base form of the main verb, not the past tense form.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.