# be

Pronunciation: say "BEE" US /bi/, UK /biː/

## Verb

1. Used to link the subject to a description of it, such as a quality, color, size, age, length, or price (She is tall; He is ten; The film is three hours; The tickets are $12).
   - Simple: Used to say what someone or something is like, such as their look, age, size, or price.
   - _The children were very quiet._
   - _It can be difficult to say no._
2. Used to say who or what the subject is, either naming the class it belongs to or identifying it as a particular person or thing (She is a nurse; That is my grandfather).
   - Simple: Used to say who or what someone or something is, like 'She is a nurse.'
   - _My neighbor is a nurse._
   - _That could be a mistake._
3. Used with a past participle to form the passive voice.
   - Simple: Used with a past participle to show that the subject has something done to it.
   - _The bridge was closed by the city after the storm._
   - _The results will be announced tomorrow._
4. Used with a present participle to form the continuous or progressive aspect.
   - Simple: Used with an -ing verb to show an action going on, as in 'she is walking'.
   - _We'll be leaving at six._
   - _She was reading when I called._
5. To exist or be present, usually with 'there' as the subject (There is no milk left); in literary use, simply to exist or live.
   - Simple: To exist or be somewhere, as in 'There is a cat in the garden.'
   - _There were no seats left._
   - _There must be some mistake._
6. To occupy a place or position.
   - Simple: To be in a certain place, as in 'the cup is on the table'.
   - _The car was outside the gate._
   - _Your keys should be on the hook by the front door._
7. With 'it' as the subject, used to state the weather, light, time of day, or how long since something happened (It's cold; It's ten o'clock; It's been years).
   - Simple: Used with 'it' to talk about the weather, the time, or how long ago something happened.
   - _It was still light at nine._
   - _It should be warmer by Friday._
8. Used with a to-infinitive to express an arrangement, an obligation, or a future seen from the past.
   - Simple: Used with 'to' and a verb for plans, orders, or what is meant to happen, as in 'you are to wait'.
   - _The president is to visit next month._
   - _The new bridge is to open next spring, the mayor said._
9. In perfect tenses only, used elliptically to mean come here, go to and come back from, or go in other senses.
   - Simple: In perfect tenses, short for 'be here' or 'go and come back', as in 'I've been to Spain'.
   - _Has the post been yet?_
   - _She's been to every country in Europe._
10. Chiefly in the progressive or the imperative, to behave or conduct oneself in a certain way.
   - Simple: To act or behave in a certain way, as in 'be yourself' or 'he's being silly'.
   - _The children are being very good today._
   - _Be patient with him._
11. To occur or take place.
   - Simple: To happen or take place, as in 'when will the meeting be?'.
   - _The final is next week._
   - _The concert will be outdoors this year._
12. After 'let' or 'leave', to remain undisturbed in a state or situation.
   - Simple: To be left alone, in 'let it be' or 'leave him be'.
   - _Let the paint be until it dries._
   - _Just leave me be, I'm fine._
13. In some dialects, including African-American Vernacular English, used without inflection to show that something happens habitually or often. *(dialectal, US, Caribbean, Ireland)*
   - Simple: In some dialects, used without changing form to mean 'usually do', as in 'he be working late'.
   - _My grandmother be cooking every Sunday._
   - _Folks be saying all kinds of things._
14. To pass or spend time in a state or activity.
   - Simple: To spend or take time doing something, as in 'I was some time finding it'.
   - _I'll be a minute or two finishing this._
   - _They were nearly an hour choosing a paint color for the kitchen._
15. Used with the past participle of certain intransitive verbs of motion or change to form a perfect, now archaic or literary except in 'is gone'.
   - Simple: Used with the past participle of verbs like 'go' and 'come' to form a perfect, as in 'he is gone'.
   - _Winter is come at last._
   - _By the time her letter reached the harbor, he would be gone to sea._
16. Chiefly in the past tense, used to link a weekday, date, or month to a period saying how long ago it was. *(dialectal)*
   - Simple: In old or regional use, links a weekday to how long ago it was, as in 'Monday was a week'.
   - _He left Tuesday was three weeks._
   - _We buried him Friday was a month._

## Other meanings

- (noun) The name of the Cyrillic letter Б / б, the second letter of the Russian alphabet, transliterated as b.

## Origin

Middle English been continues forms from three separate sources that blended over the history of English. The b- forms go back to Old English bēon, "to be, become," which came from Proto-Germanic *beuną and a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to grow, become, come into being." The w- forms, along with am, are, and is, come from Old English wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną, which goes back to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "to reside" and "to be."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/be (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).