“Didn’t had” or “didn’t have”: which is correct?
didn’t have
The short answer
The correct form is to use didn’t have because didn’t already indicates the past tense, so the main verb should be in its base form.
Verb conjugation error
Why people get it wrong
This error often occurs due to confusion about using the past tense form with auxiliary verbs. Speakers may mistakenly think both the auxiliary and main verb should be in the past tense.
Examples with didn’t have
- I didn’t have breakfast this morning.
- She didn’t have the time to finish the project.
- We didn’t have any problems with the software.
Quick check
I breakfast this morning.
The correct form is to use didn’t have because didn’t already indicates the past tense, so the main verb should be in its base form.
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