Skip to content
fluentbyear

ENGLISH VERB

shake hands

to shake someone's hand

  • Irregular verb
  • Gerund: shaking hands
  • Past participle: shaken hands

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Simple present · now, habits and facts

  1. I I shake someone's hand
  2. you you shake someone's hand
  3. he, she, it he shakes someone's hand
  4. we we shake someone's hand
  5. they they shake someone's hand

Past

Simple past · finished actions

  1. I I shook someone's hand
  2. you you shook someone's hand
  3. he, she, it he shook someone's hand
  4. we we shake someone's hand
  5. they they shook someone's hand

Future

Future · “will”

  1. I I will shake someone's hand
  2. you you will shake someone's hand
  3. he, she, it he will shake someone's hand
  4. we we will shake someone's hand
  5. they they will shake someone's hand

Present continuous

Present continuous · happening right now

  1. I I am shaking someone's hand
  2. you you are shaking someone's hand
  3. he, she, it he is shaking someone's hand
  4. we we are shaking someone's hand
  5. they they are shaking someone's hand

Present perfect

Present perfect · “have done”

  1. I I have already shaken someone's hand
  2. you you have already shaken someone's hand
  3. he, she, it he has already shaken someone's hand
  4. we we have already shaken someone's hand
  5. they they have already shaken someone's hand

Conditional

Conditional · “would”

  1. I I would shake someone's hand
  2. you you would shake someone's hand
  3. he, she, it he would shake someone's hand
  4. we we would shake someone's hand
  5. they they would shake someone's hand

Imperative

Imperative · requests and orders

  1. Shake someone's hand!

How to use shake hands

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    In the US, people shake hands when they meet.

    In the United States, people shake hands when they meet.

  2. Past

    We shook hands and signed the contract.

    We shook hands and signed the contract.

  3. Future

    The two presidents will shake hands tomorrow.

    The two presidents will shake hands tomorrow.

  4. Present continuous

    Look, the players are shaking hands after the game.

    Look, the players are shaking hands after the game.

  5. Present perfect

    I have shaken hands with the mayor twice.

    I have already shaken the mayor's hand twice.

  6. Conditional

    I would shake hands, but mine are wet.

    I would shake your hand, but my hands are wet.

  7. Imperative

    Shake hands and let's start the game.

    Shake hands and let's start the game.

Good to know

  • "Shake hands with someone", with "with". "Shake someone's hand" is also used.

Where you hear shake hands

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

English for Brazilians · Intermediate Level 3

  • Most people here shake hands. Most people here shake hands.
  • Did you two shake hands? Did you two shake hands?
  • At the door, I'll shake hands. No hugs. At the door, I'll shake hands. No hugs.
12
Neither Better nor Worse

Intermediate Level 3 · shake hands · it's more common to shake hands

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular verb.