English · Word Candidate

past

/pɑːst/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: pasts

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The period of time that has already happened, in contrast to the present and the future.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Khoảng thời gian đã xảy ra, trái ngược với hiện tại và tương lai

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

a book about a time machine that can transport people back into the past

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The past tense.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Thì quá khứ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Having already happened; in the past; finished.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Đã xảy ra

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

past glories

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Following expressions of time to indicate how long ago something happened; ago.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

That had been, what, three years past?

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “past” mean?

The period of time that has already happened, in contrast to the present and the future.

Is “past” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.