be - meaning, examples in English

auxiliary verb “be”

 nenot. be; es am, 'm; tu are, 're; viņš is, 's; pag. were / was; pag.divd. been; ģer. being

 negative: he isn't, past wasn't; you aren't, past weren't

used with past participles of verbs to form the passive voice
Sign up to see the translation of definitions and examples into any language.
The cake was eaten by the children. Another one will be baked by their mom tomorrow.
used with present participles of verbs to form the continuous aspect
She is running a marathon this weekend. She was preparing for it yesterday.
formal way to express obligation or intent
You are to complete your homework before playing video games.

 infinitive be; I am, 'm; you are, 're; he is, 's; past were / was; past part. been; gerund being

 negative: he isn't, past tense wasn't; you aren't, past tense weren't

connects the subject with a noun and indicates that the subject and object are the same, equal, or the subject is an instance of the object
She is a doctor. The animal is a cat.
shows that the subject possesses a specific characteristic or state
The cat is fluffy. This was quite strange. Helping others is as important as taking care of yourself.
is present or exists
There is a chance of rain this afternoon.
states the age of the subject
My sister is 15 years old.
states the current time
It is 10:30 in the morning.
describes the amount of time since an event happened
It has been five minutes since the last call.
describes environmental conditions like weather or air quality
It is very windy today.
describes the position or location of something
The keys are in the drawer.
asks about the timing of an event
When will the concert be?