be

sq-noun

be f (plural be, definite beja, definite plural betë)

be (plural)
beja (definite)
betë (definite plural)

From Proto-Albanian *bẹðə < *baidā, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰoydʰ-eh₂ < *bʰeydʰ- (“to persuade”). Compare Old English bād (“pledge, expectation”), Proto-Slavic *bě̄dà, Ancient Greek πείθω (peíthō), Latin foedus.


be

The name of the Latin-script letter B/b.


be

be (absolutive indefinite)
bea (absolutive indefinite singular)
beak (absolutive indefinite plural)
bek (ergative indefinite)
beak (ergative indefinite singular)
beek (ergative indefinite plural)
beri (dative indefinite)
beari (dative indefinite singular)
beei (dative indefinite plural)
beren (genitive indefinite)
bearen (genitive indefinite singular)
been (genitive indefinite plural)
berekin (comitative indefinite)
bearekin (comitative indefinite singular)
beekin (comitative indefinite plural)
berengatik (causative indefinite)
bearengatik (causative indefinite singular)
beengatik (causative indefinite plural)
berentzat (benefactive indefinite)
bearentzat (benefactive indefinite singular)
beentzat (benefactive indefinite plural)
bez (indefinite instrumental)
beaz (indefinite instrumental singular)
beez (indefinite instrumental plural)
betan (indefinite inessive)
bean (indefinite inessive singular)
beetan (indefinite inessive plural)
betako (indefinite locative)
beko (indefinite locative singular)
beetako (indefinite locative plural)
betara (allative indefinite)
bera (allative indefinite singular)
beetara (allative indefinite plural)
betaraino (indefinite terminative)
beraino (indefinite singular terminative)
beetaraino (indefinite plural terminative)
betarantz (directive indefinite)
berantz (directive indefinite singular)
beetarantz (directive indefinite plural)
betarako (destinative indefinite)
berako (destinative indefinite singular)
beetarako (destinative indefinite plural)
betatik (ablative indefinite)
betik (ablative indefinite singular)
beetatik (ablative indefinite plural)
berik (indefinite partitive)
betzat (indefinite prolative)


be

sheep, ram, ewe, lamb; an individual of the species Ovis aries


be

(Erzgebirgisch) at; with; by; near; (close) to

From Old High German bī, from Proto-Germanic *bi. Compare German bei.


be

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:

(auxiliary) Used with past participles of verbs to form the passive voice.

Used with past participles of verbs to form the passive voice.

The woman is walking.

I shall be writing to you soon.

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.

continuous aspect
continuous aspect#English

Used with present participles of verbs to form the continuous aspect.

I am to leave tomorrow.

They are to stay here until I return.

The season opener was to have been on Monday.

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.

(formal) Used with to-infinitives of verbs to express intent, obligation, appropriateness, or relative future occurrence.

He is finished.

He is gone.

He is come. (archaic)

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:

He is not here; for he is risen […].

Matthew 28:6 (various translations, from the King James Version of 1611 to Revised Version of 1881)

The King with half the East at heel is marched from lands of morning;

1922, A. E. Housman, Last Poems XXV, l.13, page 51

I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita: Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and, to impress him, he takes on his multi-armed form and says, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.

1965, J. Robert Oppenheimer, The Decision to Drop the Bomb:

His origins are become remote as is his destiny and not again in all the world’s turning will there be terrains so wild and barbarous to try whether the stuff of creation may be shaped to man’s will or whether his own heart is not another kind of clay.

1985, Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian, page 4:

intransitive verb
intransitive verb#English

Used with past participles of certain intransitive verbs to form the perfect aspect.

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 business

(African-American Vernacular, Caribbean, Ireland, auxiliary, not conjugated) To tend to do, often do; marks the habitual aspect.

To tend to do, often do; marks the habitual aspect.

There is just one woman in town who can help us.

(or, dialectally:) It is just one woman in town who can help us.

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.

(with there, or dialectally it, as dummy subject) To exist.

Hi, I’m Jim.

3 times 5 is fifteen.

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.

Used to declare the subject and object identical or equivalent.

Rex is a dog.

A dog is an animal.

Dogs are animals.

Used to indicate that a predicate nominal applies to the subject.

The sky is blue.

Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42)

Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by an adjective or prepositional phrase.

The sky is a deep blue today.

Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by a noun or noun phrase.

This building is three hundred years old.

I am 75 kilograms.

He’s about 6 feet tall.

Used to link a subject to a measurement.

I’m 20 (years old).

(with a cardinal numeral) Used to state the age of a subject in years.

Used to state the age of a subject in years.

It is almost eight (o’clock).

It’s 8:30 [read eight-thirty] in Tokyo.

What time is it there? It’s night.

(with a dummy subject it) Used to indicate the time of day.

As a copulative verb:
Used to indicate the time of day.

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.

(with since) Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of an event.

Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of an event.

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.

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; […], →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:

“Did there come no young woman here—very young and pretty—Friday was a fortnight, to see Dinah Morris?”

1859, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “The Quest”, in Adam Bede […], volume III, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book fifth, page 53:

'Twas there to-morrow is a week.

1895, Miss M. E. Rope of Suffolk, quoted by Joseph Wright, in The English Dialect Dictionary, page 202

I killed my poor father, Tuesday was a week, for doing the like of that.

1907, John Millington Synge, The Playboy of the Western World, I, page 20:

Theobald Green gent dead in the Marshalsea in August was twelvemonth
John Grey gent delivered out of the Marshalsea about August last by Mr. Secretary and remains in St. Mary Overies.
John Jacob gent delivered out of the Marsh. the XVII of May was twelvemonth and sent to Bridewell by order of the Council.

1920 (published), St. George Kieran Hyland, A Century of Persecution Under Tudor and Stuart Sovereigns from Contemporary Records, London, Paul, page 402, quoting an earlier document, Loosley volume 5, no. 28, "List of Prisoners: In Sir W. More's handwriting"

(rare and regional, chiefly in the past tense) 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.

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:

As a copulative verb:
To pass or spend (time).

Dinner will be ten minutes.

It was an hour before he returned.

As a copulative verb:
To take a period of time.

It is hot in Arizona, but it is not usually humid.

Why is it so dark in here?

(often impersonal, with it as a dummy subject) Used to indicate ambient conditions such as weather, light, noise or air quality.

Used to indicate ambient conditions such as weather, light, noise or air quality.

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."

Just be yourself.

Why is he being nice to me?

(dynamic / lexical be, especially in progressive tenses, conjugated non-suppletively in the present tense, see usage notes) To exist or behave in a certain way.

As a copulative verb:
To exist or behave in a certain way.

The Universe has no explanation: it just is.

That was the week that was.

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:

There is surely a peece of Divinity in us, something that was before the Elements, and owes no homage unto the Sun.

1643, Thomas Browne, Religio Medici, II.2, link:

And after this death there is to be no resurrection. The old man of sin has ceased to be; once crucified, he lives no more. The death is utter; the end complete.

1893, Andrew Martin Fairbairn, Christ in the Centuries, and Other Sermons, 2nd edition, volume 12, E.P. Dutton & Company, page 116:

This parrot is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker! This is a late parrot! It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed it to the perch it would be pushing up the daisies!

1969 December 7, Monty Python, “Full Frontal Nudity, Dead Parrot sketch”, in Monty Python's Flying Circus, spoken by Mr Praline (John Cleese):

The genial hotel manager of the past is no more. Now owner of a trucking concern and living in Belgium, Rusesabagina says the horrors he witnessed in Rwanda "made me a different man."

2004 December 13, Richard Schickel, “Not Just an African Story”, in Time:

(now usually literary) To exist; to have real existence, to be alive.

To exist; to have real existence, to be alive.

Let them be for a few hours.

Leave us be until the guests arrive.

To remain undisturbed in a certain state or situation.

The cup is on the table.

As an intransitive lexical verb:
To occupy a place.

When will the meeting be?

As an intransitive lexical verb:
To occur, to take place.

The postman has been today, but my tickets have still not yet come.

I have been to Spain many times.

We've been about twenty miles.

I have terrible constipation – I haven't been for several days.

They have been through a great deal of trouble.

(in perfect tenses) Elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or similar, also extending to certain other senses of "go".

head

be (highly irregular; see conjugation table)

be (infinitive)
be (infinitive)
bee (alternative)

be off

to be not fresh, of food; to leave, to depart

është

auxiliary: used to form the passive voice

esti + passive participle [-ata, -ita, -ota]

usually translated using the passive form of the active verb

auxiliary: used to form the continuous aspect of various tenses

(use present tense or active participle for present progressive)

كَانَ (kāna) + (imperfect indicative for past progressive)

zijn aan het + infinitive (or a simple tense without zijn when not stressing the continuousness of an action)

esti + active participle [-anta, -inta, -onta]

(sometimes, normally use indicative) olla + third active infinitive in inessive case

(not translated; use the equivalent simple tense, or the imperfect in the past)

(Not officially translated into Latin, but nunc can be used to convey the sense that the action is being done right now.)

داشْتَن (dâštan) + imperfective verb form

در حال (dar hâl-e) + infinitive + بودَن (budan)

(rarely translated; use the equivalent simple tense or possibly hålla på att + infinitive)

auxiliary: used to express intent, obligation, appropriateness or relative future occurrence

(not translated; use the future tense [-os])

(for future subjunctive, use θα + imperfective past verb form)

(not translated; use a future tense) ibo (I’m to go)

(not translated; use a future tense) ivero (I’m to go)

use present tense or kommer att + infinitive; for subjunctive: use om ... skulle + infinitive or (archaically) use past subjunctive)

auxiliary (archaic in English): used to form the perfect aspect with certain intransitive verbs

((not translated; use the equivalent simple tense, or the imperfect in the past)) Videsne quis venit? (Do you see who is coming?)

wees

used to declare the subject and object identical or equivalent

dèt

after auxiliaries or pre-verbal markers; in commands

يساوى

used to indicate that the values on either side of an equation are the same

(e.g. a future tense is used: бу́дет (búdet))

كَانَ

used to indicate that the subject plays the role of the predicate nominal

كَانَ

used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by an adjective

ἔχω (ékhō) + (an adverb equivalent to the adjective)

كَانَ هُوَ

used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by a noun or noun phrase

fer

used to link a subject to a count or measurement

tenir

used to state the age of a subject in years

இரு

often unspoken, e.g. அவர்களுக்கு பத்து வயது, i.e. "they were ten years old"

facer

used to indicate ambient conditions such as weather, light, noise or air quality

jam

intransitive, non-copulative (usually literary in English): to exist; to have real existence

tar

elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or similar

From Middle English been (“to be”).
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 *bʰúHt (“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”), from Proto-West Germanic *wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti, from the root *h₁es-.

inh

Proto-Germanic *beuną (“to be, exist, come to be, become”)

to grow, become, come into being, appear

Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt (“to grow, become, come into being, appear”)

der

Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes- (“to reside”)


be

O ful tru un pertikler akeawnt o... th' greyt Eggshibishun. Be o felley fro Rachde.

1851, Oliver Ormerod, Felley fro Rachde:

Go thy way vorth be tha vootsteps uv tha vlock.

1860, Henry Baird, The Song of Solomon in the Devonshire Dialect, i 8:

Aw teuk me seat be day an' neet.

1870, Joseph Philip Robson, Evangeline: The Spirit of Progress, section 332:

Fetchin' it yan... be a round about rooad.

1870, Roger Piketah, Forness Folk, section 44:

Like a leeaf be firm decree / Mun fade an' fall.

1878, John Castillo, Poems in the North Yorkshire Dialect, section 35:

‘I'll meet you agin to-morra,’ says he, ‘be the chapel-door.’

(dialectal, possibly dated) Alternative form of by. Also found in compounds, especially oaths, e.g. begorra.

by

A variant of by which goes back to Middle English be (variant of Middle English bi).


be

The name of the Cyrillic script letter Б / б


be

The name of the Latin-script letter B/b.

bes (genitive singular)
be (plural)
be (indefinite nominative singular)
beið (definite nominative singular)
be (indefinite nominative plural)
beini (definite nominative plural)
be (accusative indefinite singular)
beið (accusative definite singular)
be (accusative indefinite plural)
beini (accusative definite plural)
be (dative indefinite singular)
bei (dative indefinite singular)
benum (dative definite singular)
beum (dative indefinite plural)
beunum (dative definite plural)
bes (genitive indefinite singular)
besins (definite genitive singular)
bea (genitive indefinite plural)
beanna (definite genitive plural)


be

in (towards the interior of a defined space, such as a building or room)

hu-adv

be (comparative beljebb, superlative legbeljebb)

beljebb (comparative)
legbeljebb (superlative)


be

The name of the Latin script letter B/b.

Latin script letter names: literi: a · be · ce · che · de · e · fe · ge · he · i · je · ke · le · me · ne · o · pe · que · re · se · she · te · u · ve · we · xe · ye · ze [edit]


be

(regional, obsolete) Alternative form of bi


be

The hiragana syllable べ (be) or the katakana syllable ベ (be) in Hepburn romanization.


be

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *beź, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰe (instrumental particle) + *-ǵʰs (“out”). Cognate with Proto-Slavic *bez(ъ) (“without”); see there for more cognates.


be

first-person singular present indicative of been

From Old English bēo, bēom, first-person singular of bēon, from Proto-Germanic *biumi, first-person singular of *beuną.


be

English: be

Scots: be

From Old English bēo, singular subjunctive of bēon.


be

English: be

Scots: be

From Old English bēo, 2nd-person singular imperative of bēon, from Proto-Germanic *beu, 2nd-person singular imperative of *beuną.


be

English: be (obsolete or dialectal as the plural)

Scots: be

Old English bēoþ (with the -þ replaced with an -n levelled in from the past and subjunctive, then lost), present plural of bēon (“to be”), from Proto-Germanic *biunþi, third-person present plural of *beuną (“to be, become”).


be

From Middle High German wec, from Old High German weg, from Proto-West Germanic *weg, from Proto-Germanic *wegaz (“way, path”). Cognate with German Weg, English way.


be

head

be (imperative be, present tense ber, passive bes, simple past ba or bad, past participle bedt, present participle beende)

be (imperative)
ber (present)
bes (passive)
ba (past)
bad (past)
bedt (participle past)
beende (participle present)


be

be (present tense ber, past tense bad, supine bede or bedd or bedt, past participle beden or bedd, present participle bedande, imperative be)

ber (present)
bad (past)
bede (supine)
bedd (supine)
bedt (supine)
beden (participle past)
bedd (participle past)
bedande (participle present)
be (imperative)
beda (alternative)
bede (alternative)

From Old Norse biðja. Akin to English bid.


be

late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies
Hū be mete? hū swīðe lyst þē þæs?

How about food? How much dost thou desire that?

late 10th century, Ælfric's Lives of Saints
Iċ wāt eall be þām.
I know all about that.

by, in various senses:
based on, according to

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Hēr man ofslōh Ælfwine bē Trēntan.

In this year a man slew Alvin near the Trent.

late 10th century, Ælfric, "Passion of St.Alban, Martyr"
Eall swa þa unriht-wisan deman þe heora domas awendað, æfre be þam sceattum na be soðfæstnysse and habbað æfre to cepe heora soðfæstnysse, and swa hi sylfe syllað wið sceattum...

So likewise those unrighteous judges who pervert their judgments, always for gain, and not for justice, and always offer their justice for sale, and thus sell themselves for the sake of money,...


be

second-person singular present subjunctive of is

first/second-person singular future of is


be

be (personal, Perso-Arabic spelling بےۡ)


be

From the phonetic pronunciation of the letter B/b.


be

pl-adj

be (comparative bardziej be, superlative najbardziej be, indeclinable, derived adverb be)

bardziej be (comparative)
najbardziej be (superlative)


be

pl-adv

be (comparative bardziej be, superlative najbardziej be)


be

(colloquial) used with children to tell them not to touch something, bad! no touchy!

(onomatopoeia) used to imitate the sound of a sheep or ram, baa


be

we; first-person plural personal pronoun


be

tae be (infinitive)
bein (participle present)
been (participle past)
am (present singular)
art (archaic present singular)
is (present singular third-person)
are (plural present)
amna (negative present singular)
artna (archaic negative present singular)
isna (negative present singular third-person)
arena (negative plural present)
wis (archaic past singular)
wis (past singular)
wis (past singular third-person)
wis (past plural)
wir (past plural)
tae be (infinitive)
bein (participle present)
been (participle past)
im (present singular)
ir (present singular)
is (present singular)
ir (plural present)
is (plural present)
em (emphatic present singular)
um (emphatic present singular)
er (emphatic present singular)
ur (emphatic present singular)
es (emphatic present singular)
er (emphatic plural present)
ur (emphatic plural present)
es (emphatic plural present)
imni (negative present singular)
irni (negative present singular)
isni (negative present singular)
irni (negative plural present)
isni (negative plural present)
wuz (past singular)
wur (past singular)
wur (past plural)
bey (alternative)

From Middle English been, from Old English bēon. The various forms have different further etymologies:
* The b- forms derive from Proto-Germanic *beuną.
* All other forms derive from Proto-West Germanic *wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną
Cognates include English be.


be

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.


be

bẹ̑ (canonical inanimate masculine)
please help by adding the tonal marks.
bé (nominative singular)
bêja (dual nominative)
bêji (nominative plural)
bêja (genitive singular)
bêjev (dual genitive)
bêjev (genitive plural)
bêju (dative singular)
bêjema (dative dual)
bêjem (dative plural)
bé (accusative singular)
bêja (accusative dual)
bêje (accusative plural)
bêju (locative singular)
bêjih (dual locative)
bêjih (locative plural)
bêjem (instrumental singular)
bêjema (dual instrumental)
bêji (instrumental plural)

Probably from the German name of the letter B (pronounced [beː]).


be

Han bad om ett glas vatten

Jag vill be om en tjänst

Han bad honom lämna rummet

to ask for, request someone else to do something

De satt i kyrkan och bad

Hjälp mig! Jag ber dig!

to beg, to plead with someone for help or for a favor

head

be (present ber, preterite bad, supine bett, imperative be)

ber (present)
bad (preterite)
bett (supine)
be (imperative)
be (active infinitive)
bes (infinitive passive)
bett (active supine)
betts (passive supine)
be (active imperative)
ben (active archaic)
ber (active indicative present)
bad (active indicative past)
bes (indicative passive present)
bads (indicative passive past)
be (active archaic present)
bådo (active archaic past)
bes (archaic passive present)
bådos (archaic passive past)
be (active dated present subjunctive)
både (active dated past subjunctive)
bes (dated passive present subjunctive)
bådes (dated passive past subjunctive)
bedjande (active participle past present)
beende (active participle past present)
bedd (active participle past)
bedja (active infinitive)
bedjas (infinitive passive)
bett (active supine)
betts (passive supine)
bed (active imperative)
beden (active archaic)
beder (active indicative present)
bad (active indicative past)
beds (indicative passive present)
bedes (indicative passive present)
bedjes (indicative passive present)
bads (indicative passive past)
bedja (active archaic present)
bådo (active archaic past)
bedjas (archaic passive present)
bådos (archaic passive past)
bede (active dated present subjunctive)
både (active dated past subjunctive)
bedes (dated passive present subjunctive)
bådes (dated passive past subjunctive)
bedjande (active participle past present)
bedd (active participle past)
bedja (alternative)

From older bedja, from Old Swedish biþia, from Old Norse biðja, from Proto-Germanic *bidjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰedʰ-. Cognate with Danish bede, Icelandic biðja, English bid, Dutch bidden, German bitten.


be

the name of the Latin-script letter B/b, in the Abecedario

Borrowed from Spanish be, the Spanish name of the letter B/b. Ultimately from Latin bē. Doublet of bi.


be

(international standards) ISO 639-1 language code for Belarusian.

Wiktionary’s coverage of Belarusian terms

abbrev

English <i class="Latn mention" lang="en">Belarusian</i>


be

(very informal) hey there, hey! you! (implying disapproval of the addressee’s actions)

Bu yük çok ağır be!


be

be píc

Toọng be.

cần pác be

be nòn tẳm sloai

be nòn quá nâư

to lie down with one's limbs spread out (from tiredness or laziness)

Cognate with Lao ແບ (bǣ) or ເບ (bē), Tai Dam ꪵꪚ, Zhuang mbe, Saek แบ๋, Thai แบ (bɛɛ).


be

Rượu ngon chẳng quản be sành.

Good wine does not mind a terracotta flask.


be

chiếc áo mưa màu be


be

To build a mud embankment with one's hands.

lấy tay be miệng đấu khi đong đỗ

to surround the top of a measure with one's hands while measuring beans

Đong bình thường, không được be đâu đấy.

Measure it out normally; don't prop up the lip of the sack.

To prop up the lip of a sack while topping off the sack, to ensure a more generous quantity.


be

Thuyền be theo bờ sông.


be

Leth it be.

1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 53:

Well, gosp, c'hull be zeid; mot thee fartoo, an fade;

1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 84:

Well, gossip, it shall be told; you ask what ails me, and for what;

At ye mye ne'er be wooveless ta vill a lear jock an cooan.

1867, “VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3, page 100:

That you may never be unprovided to fill an empty jack and can.

Na speen to be multh, nar flaase to be shaure.

1867, “ABOUT AN OLD SOW GOING TO BE KILLED”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 106:

no teat to be milked, nor fleece to be shorn.

till ee zin o'oure daies be var aye be ee-go t'glade.

1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 116, lines 14-15:

until the sun of our lives be gone down the dark valley (of death).

proo'th, y'at wee alane needeth ye giftes o'generale rights, az be displayte bie ee factes o'thie goveremente.

1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 114, lines 23-24:

proves that we alone stood in need of the enjoyment of common privileges, as is demonstrated by the results of your government.

Ye state na dicke daie o'ye londe, na whilke be nar fash nar moile, albiet 'constitutional agitation,'

1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 116, lines 1-2:

The condition, this day, of the country, in which is neither tumult nor disorder, but that constitutional agitation,

Shoo ya aam zim to doone, as w' be doone nowe;

1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 14, page 90:

She gave them some to do, as we are doing now;

Ye be welcome, hearthilee welcome, mee joees,

1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 1, page 94:

You are welcome, heartily welcome, my joys,

Ye be welcome, hearthillee, ivery oan.

unnere fose fatherlie zwae oure daiez be ee-spant,

1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 114, lines 11-12:

under whose paternal rule our days are spent;

Wi Irishmen owre generale hopes be ee-bond——

1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 116, lines 9-10:

With Irishmen our common hopes are inseparably bound up——

Yith Muzleare had ba hole, t'was mee Tommeen,

1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3, page 84:

If Good-for-little had been buried, it had been my Tommy,


be

Ha-ho! be mee coshes, th'ast ee-pait it, co Joane;

1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 13, page 90:

Hey-ho! by my conscience, you have paid it, quoth John;

FOR LOSS O' HIS CUCK AT WAS EE-TOOK BE A VOX.

1867, “CASTEALE CUDDE'S LAMENTATION”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 102:

FOR LOSS OF HIS COCK THAT WAS TAKEN BY A FOX.


be

Ngesonto elilandelayo ngizobe ngisebenza kakhulu.

(auxiliary) forms continuous tenses [with participial]