be
noun/beɪ/
Etymology Borrowed from Russian бэ (bɛ).
1
The name of the Cyrillic script letter Б / б
be
verb/ˈbiː/ · [ˈbɪi̯]
Etymology
From Middle English been (“to be”). See below for more. Further etymology of be and its conjugated forms The various forms have three separate origins, which were mixed together at various times in the history of English. * The forms beginning with b- come from Old English bēon (“to be, become”), from Proto-Germanic *beuną (“to be, exist, come to be, become”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-yé-ti (“to grow, become, come into being, appear”), from the root *bʰuH-. In particular: ** Now-dialectal use of been as an infinitive of be is either from Middle English been (“to be”) or an extension of the past participle. ** Now-obsolete use of been as a plural present tense (meaning "are") is from Middle English been, be (present plural of been (“to be”), with the -n leveled in from the past and subjunctive; compare competing forms aren/are). ** Use of been as a past participle is from Middle English been, ybeen, from Old English ġebēon. * The forms beginning with w- come from the aforementioned Old English bēon, which shared its past tense with the verb wesan, from Proto-West Germanic *wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes- (“to reside”). * The remaining forms (am, are, is) are also from Old English wesan (“to be”), Proto-West Germanic *wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną, the present tense of which comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₁és-ti, from the root *h₁es-.
24 senses
- 1Used with past participles of verbs to form the passive voice.
- 2Used with present participles of verbs to form the…
- 3Used with to-infinitives of verbs to express intent…
- 4Used with past participles of certain intransitive verbs…
- 5To tend to do, often do; marks the habitual aspect.
- 6To exist.
- 7Used to declare the subject and object identical or equivalent.
- 8Used to indicate that a predicate nominal applies to the subject.
- 9Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities…
- 10Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities…
- 11Used to link a subject to a measurement.
- 12Used to state the age of a subject in years.
- 13Used to indicate the time of day.
- 14Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of…
- 15Used to link two noun clauses: a day of the week…
- 16To pass or spend (time).
- 17To take a period of time.
- 18Used to indicate ambient conditions such as weather…
- 19To exist or behave in a certain way.
- 20To exist; to have real existence, to be alive.
- 21To remain undisturbed in a certain state or situation.
- 22To occupy a place.
- 23To occur, to take place.
- 24Elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or…
› As an auxiliary verb:
1
Used with past participles of verbs to form the passive voice.
- The dog was saved by the boy.
- Study courses of Esperanto and Ido have been broadcast.1995, C. K. Ogden, Psyche: An Annual General and Linguistic Psychology 1920-1952, C. K. Ogden, →ISBN, page 13:
2
Used with present participles of verbs to form the continuous aspect.
- The woman is walking.
- I shall be writing to you soon.
2 more examples
- We liked to chat while we were eating.
- In the possibility of radio uses of a constructed language — and such experiments are proving successful—vast sums of money and untold social forces may be involved.1995, C. K. Ogden, Psyche: An Annual General and Linguistic Psychology 1920-1952, C. K. Ogden, →ISBN, page 13:
3
Used with to-infinitives of verbs to express intent, obligation, appropriateness, or relative future occurrence.
- I am to leave tomorrow.
- They are to stay here until I return.
3 more examples
- I'd been to've been ambassador, but fell seriously ill.
- How were they to know the whole exercise was a ruse?
- They were to have been married overseas but COVID forced a change of plans.
4
Used with past participles of certain intransitive verbs to form the perfect aspect.
- He is finished.
- He is gone.
4 more examples
- He is come.
- They are not yet come back.c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], page 133:
- And he cryed mightily with a strõg voyce, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of deuils[…]1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 18:2:
- ‘I wish that he were come to me, / For he will come,’ she said.1850, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, The Blessed Damozel, ll.67-68:
African-American Vernacular
- 1996, David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein, Tom Shadyac and Steve Oedekerk, screenplay of The Nutty Professor Women be shoppin’! You cannot stop a woman from shoppin’!
- Niggas be tellin' these bitches 'bout business2020, Moneybagg Yo, Thug Cry:
1 more example
- I be fingering my pussy till my fingers turn soggy; Yeah, I love masturbation; that’s my favorite fucking hobby; I be spitting on my pussy; yeah, I gotta keep it soppy; I be gooning out in public; ain’t nobody gonna stop me.2025, LONDON, “Soggy!”, in Soggy!:
› As a copulative verb:
6
As dummy subject, With there To exist.
- There is just one woman in town who can help us.
- (or, dialectally:) It is just one woman in town who can help us.
3 more examples
- Some men there are loue not a gaping Pigge: / Some that are mad, if they behold a Cat: / And others, when the bag-pipe sings i’th nose, / Cannot containe their Vrine for affection.c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 178:
- "There is a sort of domestic enjoyment to be known even in a crowd, and this you had."1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter IX, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume IV, London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC, page 170:
- "There has been lots of commentary on who is staying and who is staying out and this weekend will be the real test," said one senior media buying agency executive who has pulled the advertising for one major client.2011 July 6, Mark Sweney, The Guardian:
7
Used to declare the subject and object identical or equivalent.
- Hi, I’m Jim.
- 3 times 5 is fifteen.
3 more examples
- These four are the ones going to the quarter-finals.
- François Mitterrand was president of France from 1981 to 1995.
- This is how we do it.
8
Used to indicate that a predicate nominal applies to the subject.
- Rex is a dog.
- A dog is an animal.
1 more example
- Dogs are animals.
9
Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by an adjective or prepositional phrase.
- The sky is blue.
- Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remooue this cup from me: neuerthelesse, not my will, but thine be done.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 22:42:
10
Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by a noun or noun phrase.
- The sky is a deep blue today.
11
Used to link a subject to a measurement.
- This building is three hundred years old.
- I am 75 kilograms.
1 more example
- He’s about 6 feet tall.
12
With a cardinal numeral Used to state the age of a subject in years.
- I’m 20 (years old).
13
With a dummy subject it Used to indicate the time of day.
- It is almost eight (o’clock).
- It’s 8:30 [read eight-thirty] in Tokyo.
1 more example
- What time is it there? It’s night.
14
With since Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of an event.
- It has been three years since my grandmother died. (similar to "My grandmother died three years ago", but emphasizes the intervening period)
- It had been six days since his departure, when I received a letter from him.
15
Past, Rare, Regional Used to link two noun clauses: a day of the week, recurring date, month, or other specific time (on which the event of the main clause took place) and a period of time indicating how long ago that day was.
- I saw her Monday was a week: I saw her a week ago last Monday (a week before last Monday).
- On the morning of Sunday was fortnight before Christmas: on the morning of the Sunday that was two weeks before the Sunday prior to Christmas.
4 more examples
- Miss Lardner (whom you have seen at her cousin Biddulph's) saw you at St James's church on Sunday was fortnight.1748, [Samuel Richardson], Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume V, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 97:
- And so, without as much as to return home to furnish myself for such a journey, volens, nolens, they prevailed, or rather forced me to come to Dublin to confer with those colonels, and that was the last August was twelvemonth.1770, Historical Memoirs of the Irish Rebellion, in the year 1641 […] In a letter to Walter Harris, Esq; [By John Curry.] The fourth edition, with corrections throughout the whole, and large additions, by the author, Ireland, page 186:
- That they were present at the Election in August was Twelvemonth, at which there was the strictest Scrutiny that ever they saw in their Lives, by all the Four Candidates.1803, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Journals of the House of Commons, page 249:
- Allow me to recommend some of the kipper—It was John Hay that catched it Saturday was three weeks.1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], chapter V, in Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], →OCLC, pages 79-80:
16
To pass or spend (time).
- and when he compares both sides, he will be some time at a loss to fix any determination.1844, Robert Chambers, Cyclopedia of English Literature: A History, page 289:
- The bag was crisp with ice, and with my fingerless gloves I was a bit of time unholing the buttons. But I got the flap turned back at last, and there was Ryan grey-faced and stark.1907, C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne, McTodd, page 232:
17
To take a period of time.
- Dinner will be ten minutes.
- It was an hour before he returned.
18
Often Used to indicate ambient conditions such as weather, light, noise or air quality.
With it as a dummy subject
- It is hot in Arizona, but it is not usually humid.
- Why is it so dark in here?
19
Especially, Irregular, In progressive tenses To exist or behave in a certain way.
Dynamic / lexical be
- When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead.2006 October 9, Kristin Newman (writer), Barney Stinson (character), How I Met Your Mother, season 2, episode 1
- "What do we do?" "We be ourselves."
3 more examples
- Just be yourself.
- Why is he being nice to me?
- Dad is taking a nap, so we're all being quiet.
› As an intransitive lexical verb:
20
Literary, Usually To exist; to have real existence, to be alive.
- The Universe has no explanation: it just is.
- That was the week that was.
4 more examples
- This is something that was meant to be.
- Rachel wepynge ffor her chyldren / and wolde nott be comforted becauſe they were not.1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew ij:[18], folio iij, recto:
- To be, or not to be: that is the question: / Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], page 265:
- […]it were great sottishnesse, and apparent false-hood, to say, that that is which is not yet in being, or that already hath ceased from being.1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 351:
21
To remain undisturbed in a certain state or situation.
- Let them be for a few hours.
- Leave us be until the guests arrive.
22
To occupy a place.
- The cup is on the table.
23
To occur, to take place.
- When will the meeting be?
24
In perfect tenses Elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or similar, also extending to certain other senses of "go".
- The postman has been today, but my tickets have still not yet come.
- I have been to Spain many times.
3 more examples
- We've been about twenty miles.
- I have terrible constipation – I haven't been for several days.
- I’ve been into town this morning.
- Synonyms
- get
- Derived terms
41 terms
abe, albe, beable, be about to, be cool, be-er, be fearful when others are greedy, be going to, be judge and jury, be no match for, be onto nothing, be quiet, be to, beware, bewith, bist, gonnabe, habitual be, inter-be, maybe, might-be, to-be, unbe, wannabe, be after, be along, be away, be down on, be in, be in on, be like, be not on, be off, be on, be on about, be onto, be out, be out of, be out to do, be up, be up for