transcription, транскрипция: [ bi: ]
v. & v.aux. (sing. present am; are; is; pl. present are; 1st and 3rd sing. past was; 2nd sing. past and pl. past were; present subj. be; past subj. were; pres. part. being; past part. been) --v.intr. 1 (often prec. by there) exist, live (I think, therefore I am; there is a house on the corner; there is no God). 2 a occur; take place (dinner is at eight). b occupy a position in space (he is in the garden; she is from abroad; have you been to Paris?). 3 remain, continue (let it be). 4 linking subject and predicate, expressing: a identity (she is the person; today is Thursday). b condition (he is ill today). c state or quality (he is very kind; they are my friends). d opinion (I am against hanging). e total (two and two are four). f cost or significance (it is ø5 to enter; it is nothing to me). --v.aux. 1 with a past participle to form the passive mood (it was done; it is said; we shall be helped). 2 with a present participle to form continuous tenses (we are coming; it is being cleaned). 3 with an infinitive to express duty or commitment, intention, possibility, destiny, or hypothesis (I am to tell you; we are to wait here; he is to come at four; it was not to be found; they were never to meet again; if I were to die). 4 archaic with the past participle of intransitive verbs to form perfect tenses (the sun is set; Babylon is fallen). øbe about occupy oneself with (is about his business). be-all and end-all colloq. (often foll. by of) the whole being or essence. be at occupy oneself with (what is he at?; mice have been at the food). been (or been and gone) and sl. an expression of protest or surprise (he's been and taken my car!). be off colloq. go away; leave. be that as it may see MAY. -to-be of the future (in comb. : bride-to-be). [OE beo(m), (e)am, is, (e)aron; past f. OE wós f. wesan to be; there are numerous Gmc cognates]