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be born
/bi bɔrn/
come into existence through birth
She was born in a small village in Italy.
She came into the world in a small Italian village.
neutral
To come into existence as a living being, typically through the process of childbirth.
The baby was born at 3 AM.
The baby arrived at 3 AM.
He was born in 1990.
He entered the world in 1990.
Used to describe the moment a person or animal begins life. Often paired with 'in' to indicate place (e.g., 'born in a hospital') or 'of' to indicate parentage (e.g., 'born of a royal family').
Collocations
be born into enter the world at a specific locationbe born ofto be the child of specific parentsbe born againto experience a spiritual rebirthbe born withto possess a trait from birth
Synonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Passive Voice Only
Remember that 'be born' is always used in the passive voice. The correct structure is '[subject] + was/were born'. Never say '*She born in 2000' or '*He born yesterday'.
Gold Rule
Correct Verb Forms
Use 'was born' for singular subjects (e.g., 'He was born') and 'were born' for plural subjects (e.g., 'They were born').
Word Origin
From Old English 'boren', past participle of 'beran' (to bear), related to German 'geboren' and Dutch 'geboren'. The phrase 'be born' emerged in Middle English as a passive construction describing the act of being brought into existence.
Usage Notes
This phrase is always used in the passive voice ('was born', 'were born'). It cannot be used in the active voice (*'She born a child'). For the active sense of giving birth, use 'give birth to' (e.g., 'She gave birth to a healthy baby').
Word Breakdown
be
auxiliary verb indicating passive voice
verbborn
past participle of 'bear', meaning 'brought into existence'
past participleEnglish Dictionary