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be
/biː/
to exist
To be or not to be, that is the question.
The phrase questions whether existence itself is preferable.
formal
to exist; to have a specified identity or nature
She wants to be a doctor.
She wishes to exist in the role of a doctor.
The meeting will be at 3 PM.
The meeting will occur at 3 PM.
Used as an auxiliary verb in continuous tenses (e.g., 'is running', 'was sleeping') and in passive constructions (e.g., 'was seen').
general
to occupy a place or position
The book is on the table.
The book occupies a position on the table.
Commonly used with prepositions to indicate location.
general
to become or come to be
She wants to be happy.
She wishes to become happy.
Often followed by an adjective or past participle.
Collocations
be able tocan; have the capability tobe going tointend to; plan tobe supposed toexpected to; intended to
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Mastering 'be' as an auxiliary verb
Practice forming continuous tenses (e.g., 'I am reading', 'She was sleeping') and passive constructions (e.g., 'The cake was eaten'). These are essential for fluency.
Gold Rule
Subject-verb agreement
Always match 'be' with its subject in number and person (e.g., 'I am', 'you are', 'he/she/it is', 'we are', 'they are').
Word Origin
From Old English 'bēon', 'beon', 'wesan' (to be, become, exist), from Proto-Germanic '*bijuH' (to be, exist), from Proto-Indo-European '*bʰuH-' (to grow, become). Related to words like 'am', 'is', 'are', 'was', 'were' in English and 'bin' in German.
Usage Notes
'Be' is the most irregular verb in English, with distinct forms for different tenses and persons (e.g., 'am', 'is', 'are', 'was', 'were', 'being', 'been'). It functions as an auxiliary verb in continuous and passive constructions and as a main verb to describe existence, identity, or state.
Word Breakdown
bēon (Old English)
to be, become, exist
rootEnglish Dictionary