Carry (verb) — to hold something and take it from one place to another using your hands, arms, or body. You can carry things like bags, boxes, a phone or a child.
How to Pronounce “Carry”?
Audio (UK):
Audio (US):
This verb sounds like KAH-ree, with a short a at the start and a soft ree at the end, similar to “strawberry.”
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Conjugation of “Carry”
Correct use of the verb “carry” in various tenses depends on knowing its key forms. Whether you are talking about the present, past or an imaginary situation, the following charts will show you how to select the appropriate form of the verb “carry.”
Verb “Carry”: Indicative Forms
Understanding these forms enables you to express real actions that occur across different time periods, which is a fundamental requirement for daily communication and precise storytelling.
|
Tense |
I |
You |
He/She/It |
We |
They |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple |
carry |
carry |
carries |
carry |
carry |
|
Past Simple |
carried |
carried |
carried |
carried |
carried |
|
Future Simple |
will carry |
will carry |
will carry |
will carry |
will carry |
|
Present Continuous |
am carrying |
are carrying |
is carrying |
are carrying |
are carrying |
|
Past Continuous |
was carrying |
were carrying |
was carrying |
were carrying |
were carrying |
|
Future Continuous |
will be carrying |
will be carrying |
will be carrying |
will be carrying |
will be carrying |
|
Present Perfect |
have carried |
have carried |
has carried |
have carried |
have carried |
|
Past Perfect |
had carried |
had carried |
had carried |
had carried |
had carried |
|
Future Perfect |
will have carried |
will have carried |
will have carried |
will have carried |
will have carried |
|
Present Perfect Continuous |
have been carrying |
have been carrying |
has been carrying |
have been carrying |
have been carrying |
|
Past Perfect Continuous |
had been carrying |
had been carrying |
had been carrying |
had been carrying |
had been carrying |
|
Future Perfect Continuous |
will have been carrying |
will have been carrying |
will have been carrying |
will have been carrying |
will have been carrying |
Conditional Forms of “Carry”
These forms establish essential functions for expressing both possibilities and hypothetical situations and creating polite requests that people use in all types of formal and informal communication.
|
Conditional form |
I |
You |
He/She/It |
We |
They |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Conditional Present |
would carry |
would carry |
would carry |
would carry |
would carry |
|
Conditional Present Continuous |
would be carrying |
would be carrying |
would be carrying |
would be carrying |
would be carrying |
|
Conditional Perfect |
would have carried |
would have carried |
would have carried |
would have carried |
would have carried |
|
Conditional Perfect Continuous |
would have been carrying |
would have been carrying |
would have been carrying |
would have been carrying |
would have been carrying |
Participle Forms of “Carry”
Knowing participles is key to forming more complex verb structures and improving both written and spoken fluency.
|
Present participle |
Past participle |
|---|---|
|
carrying |
carried |
Verb “Carry”: Infinitives
Infinitive forms are widely used in sentence construction, especially after modal verbs and in more advanced grammar patterns.
|
Form |
Structure |
|---|---|
|
Full infinitive |
to carry |
|
Bare infinitive |
carry |
|
Perfect infinitive |
to have carried |
|
Continuous infinitive |
to be carrying |
|
Perfect continuous infinitive |
to have been carrying |
Examples of “Carry” in a Sentence
To define the verb “carry” based on the context, take a look at the typical uses of this word by native speakers.
Collocations with “Carry”
Learning collocation examples of the word “carry” enables you to apply this verb in various situations in a more natural way. In addition, knowledge of these phrases prevents many possible errors since you can see what words should be used together with “carry.”
|
Type |
Verb / Phrase |
Object |
|---|---|---|
|
Verb + noun |
carry |
a bag |
|
carry |
groceries/shopping |
|
|
carry |
a child/baby |
|
|
carry |
a box/load |
|
|
carry |
a weapon |
|
|
carry |
passengers |
|
|
carry |
cash / a wallet |
|
|
Phrasal verbs |
carry out |
a task/plan/experiment |
|
carry on |
a conversation/activity |
|
|
carry over |
something (to the next day/period) |
|
|
carry around |
something (daily items) |
|
|
Noun phrases |
carry-on bag |
— |
|
carrying case |
— |
|
|
Phrases |
carry too much |
weight |
|
carry something carefully |
— |
|
|
carry something by hand |
— |
Synonyms and Antonyms for “Carry” in English
To expand your English vocabulary, it’s worth knowing related synonymous and antonymous expressions connected with the word “carry.” Read and remember them; they will help you in the future!
Synonyms: hold take bring transport move bear lift convey
Antonyms: drop leave put down set down release unload
“Carry” in Other Languages
Learn how to spell “carry” in other European languages like Spanish, French and German. Look at these translations and think if there are any similarities with an English variant.
| Language | Word for “Carry” |
|---|---|
Spanish |
Llevar |
French |
Porter |
German |
Tragen |
