sung: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
High (A2)Neutral to formal in its participle usage; can be poetic/literary in metaphorical use.
Quick answer
What does “sung” mean?
The past participle form of the verb 'sing' (to produce musical tones with the voice).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The past participle form of the verb 'sing' (to produce musical tones with the voice).
Refers to the act of having performed vocal music; can metaphorically describe something that has been celebrated or proclaimed in a lyrical manner (e.g., 'praises were sung').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Potential minor variation in the frequency of certain collocations or in metaphorical literary use.
Connotations
Identical core connotations. The metaphorical use ('of praises sung') might be slightly more common in classic British literary contexts.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “sung” in a Sentence
[Someone] has/had sung [a song/anthem].[A song/anthem] was sung [by someone] [at/in a place].[Praises] were sung [for/of someone/something].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sung” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The national anthem hasn't been sung with such feeling in years.
- She realised she'd never actually sung in front of a proper audience.
American English
- That hymn hasn't been sung at our church for decades.
- He admitted he'd never sung karaoke before last night.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in metaphorical clichés (e.g., 'the praises of the new software were sung by the CEO').
Academic
Used in musicology, literary analysis, and historical descriptions of performances.
Everyday
Common in describing past musical events (e.g., 'Have you sung that song before?').
Technical
Primarily in musical and linguistic (grammatical) contexts.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sung”
- *I sung a song yesterday. (Correct: I *sang* a song yesterday.)
- *She has sang beautifully. (Correct: She has *sung* beautifully.)
- Using 'sung' without an auxiliary verb in active voice (e.g., *'He sung' is non-standard for the simple past).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Sang' is the simple past tense (e.g., 'I sang yesterday'). 'Sung' is the past participle and must be used with an auxiliary verb like 'have', 'has', or 'had' (e.g., 'I have sung') or in passive constructions (e.g., 'It was sung').
Rarely and only in hyphenated compound modifiers before a noun, often in technical musical contexts (e.g., 'a sung-through musical', 'a well-sung phrase'). It is not used as a standalone adjective.
In standard modern English, no. 'I sung' is considered non-standard or dialectal for the simple past tense. The standard simple past is 'I sang'. 'I have sung' is correct for the present perfect.
Use 'sung' when you also need a helper verb: have/has/had sung, was/were sung, will have sung, etc. If there's no helper verb and you're talking about a finished past action, use 'sang'.
The past participle form of the verb 'sing' (to produce musical tones with the voice).
Sung is usually neutral to formal in its participle usage; can be poetic/literary in metaphorical use. in register.
Sung: in British English it is pronounced /sʌŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /sʌŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “sung praises (of)”
- “sung one's heart out”
- “sung from the same hymn sheet”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SUNG rhymes with 'hung' – you have HUNG a picture, you have SUNG a song.
Conceptual Metaphor
CELEBRATION IS A SONG (e.g., 'His achievements were sung throughout the land.'); COMPLETION IS A FINAL NOTE (as a participle marking a completed action).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence is grammatically correct?