've

Pronunciation

postvocalic IPA: /v/
postconsonantal IPA: /É™v/
Homophones: of postconsonantal 've only, unstressed of only

Origin

Contraction of have.

Verb

verb

Have (marking the perfect, or retrospective, tense)
(some dialects) Have, possess.

Usage notes

In many dialects, -'ve is only used to mark the perfect aspect ("I've done something" = "I have done something"), not to signify possession ("I have something"). In others, -'ve may be used for both.

Related terms

'd (past tense)
's (third person)