| 释义 |
be
I. \(|)bē, _bi\ verb
(past first & third singular was \(|)wəz, (|)wäz also (|)wȯz\ ; or dialect were \see below\ ; or war \(|)wȧr\ ; second singular were \_wə(r); |wər, +V |wər., |wə̄, +V “ or |wər. also |wə̄r; archaic or Brit (|)w]a(a)(ə)r or ]e(ə)r or ]a(a)ə or ]eə\ ; or dialect & archaic was or dialect (with “you”) war or archaic (with “thou”) wast \_wəst, (|)wäst also (|)wȯst\ ; or (with “thou”) wert \_wə(r)]t, |wər]t, (|)wə̄]t, (|)wəi]t, usu ]d.+V\ ; plural were or nonstandard & archaic was or dialect war past subjunctive were or nonstandard & archaic was or archic second singular (with “thou”) wert past part been \(|)bin, _bən; ben (in standard speech more often unstressed or with secondary stress than with primary stress); Brit usually & US sometimes (|)bēn\ ; or dialect ben \(|)ben\ ; present part be·ing \|bēiŋ, |bēēŋ, rapid (|)bēŋ\ ; or dialect British & archaic been \(|)bēn, |bēə̇n\ ; present first singular am \_əm, (|)am also (|)aa(ə)m; after “I” often m\ ; or dialect is or be second singular (with “you”) are \_ə(r), (|)är, (|)ȧ(r; after a vowel-final pronoun often r\ ; or archaic (with “thou”) art \_ə(r)]t, (|)är]t, (|)ȧ]t, +V usu ]d.\ ; or dialect be or (with “you”) is or dialect British (with “thou”) beest \(|)bēst, |bēə̇st\ ; or (with “thou”) bist \(|)bist\ ; third singular is \(|)iz, _əz; after vowels & after vȯiced consonants other than z, zh, & j: often z; after vȯiceless consonants other than s, sh, & ch: often s\ ; or dialect British be plural are or nonstandard is or dialect & archaic be or archaic been \the last like past part been\ ; present subjunctive be or obs second singular (with “thou”) beest)
Etymology: Middle English been, from Old English bēon; akin to Old High German bim am, Old Norse būa to live, dwell, Gothic bauan, Latin fui I have been, futurus about to be, fieri to become, Greek phyein to bring forth, phynai to be born, be, Sanskrit bhavati he is
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to equal in meaning : have the same connotation (sense 3) as
< God is love >
< January is the first month >
< let x be 10 >
: represent symbolically
< the seven lampstands are the seven churches — Revelations 1:20 (Revised Standard Version) >
b. : to constitute the same idea or object as : have individual identity with
< the first person I met was my brother >
< the pianist himself was the composer of the piece >
< $50 was all I had >
c. : to constitute the same class as
< these three books are the authoritative works on the president's life >
d. : to have a meaning that includes or implies the meaning of
< fish are vertebrates >
< red is a color >
: have a (specified) qualification or characterization
< the leaves are green >
< this book is heavy >
e. : to belong as an individual to the class of
< the fish you caught was a trout >
f. : to belong as a class to the larger class of
< some animals with horns and divided hoofs are graminivorous animals >
— used regularly in senses 1a through 1f as the copula of simple predication
g. : signify : amount to
< her death was nothing to him >
h. : to show oneself as an outstanding example of — used with main stress in spoken sentences
< the doctor pleased the parents by commenting, “That is a baby” >
i. : to constitute genuinely : actualize well the type of
< one of the few great elegies which are elegies — Douglas Bush >
j. : to seem to consist of : show oneself gripped or dominated by (a feeling)
< she was all scorn at the proposition >
: become completely covered with
< road was all mud >
2.
a. : to exist either absolutely or in relations or under conditions specified : have an objective existence : have reality or actuality : live
< Thee, which wert and art and evermore shalt be — Reginald Heber >
< I think, therefore I am >
— often used with there
< once upon a time there was a knight >
< there is a wreck ahead >
b. : to have, maintain, or occupy a place, situation, or position : show a certain characteristic — often used with a prepositional phrase
< the book is on the table >
< he was at ease >
c. : to remain unmolested, unbothered, or uninterrupted — used only in infinitive form
< let him be; stop pestering him >
d. : happen, occur : take place
< the concert was last night >
< where will the meeting be >
e. archaic : belong, pertain
< to thine and Albany's issue be this perpetual — Shakespeare >
f.
(1) : to come or go : journey
< we will be on our way shortly >
< have you been home since Christmas >
(2) : to make a stay : show oneself or be present
< they will be in town all week >
< was your sister at the party last night >
— not used in the present; use of the past tense followed by to
< I was to town yesterday >
often considered nonstandard
g. : to come around in due course often in following a schedule or appointed round — used only in perfect forms
< has the postman been this morning >
h. substandard : act — used only in the perfect; used as an intensive
< see what you have been and done >
3. now dialect Britain : to stand good for expense (as in a treat)
< offering to be his friend's dinner >
verbal auxiliary
1. : to undergo an action — used with the past participle of transitive verbs as a passive-voice auxiliary
< the money was found >
< German is spoken here >
< the house is being built >
2. : to perform a continuous action : be supposed to perform a future action — used as the auxiliary of the present participle in the so-called progressive tenses, usually expressing continuous action
< he is reading >
< I have been sleeping >
< the house is being built >
but sometimes in present-tense form expressing future noncontinuous action
< he is leaving tomorrow >
3. : to have changed place or condition as a result of completing an action — used with the past participle of certain intransitive verbs as an auxiliary forming archaic perfect tenses
< Christ is risen from the dead — 1 Cor 15:20 (Douay Version) >
< the minstrel boy to the war is gone — Thomas Moore >
4. : become supposed : become destined — used with the infinitive with to to express futurity, arrangement in advance, or obligation
< I am to interview him today >
< he was to become one of the most famous men of his century >
< you are to repay the loan in monthly installments >
— usually not used in the form of an infinitive or participle
5. : to undergo a continuous action : be in the process of — used in a passive sense with the present participle or with the gerund preceded by the prefix a- or the preposition a
< while the ark was building — 1 Pet 3:20 (NCE) >
< when the ark was a building — 1 Pet 3:20 (Douay Version) >
— now usually replaced by the passive construction with being followed by the past participle, as in 1 and 2
•
- be oneself
- to be sure
II.
variant of bee |