be

verb
UK: /biː/
US: /biː/

  1. To exist or happen.

    1. I will be at home tonight because I am tired [ ] [ ]
    2. The concert will be amazing if the weather cooperates, I really think so [ ] [ ]

  2. To have a specified identity or role.

    1. I want to be a doctor when I grow up because it's my dream [ ] [ ]
    2. She'll be the team leader for this project as she has great leadership skills [ ] [ ]

  3. Used to indicate a future action or event.

    1. I will be there soon don't worry [ ] [ ]
    2. There will be rain tomorrow according to the weather forecast, so take an umbrella [ ] [ ]
be auxiliary-verb

  1. People use 'be' to form continuous verb tenses. It shows an action in progress.

    1. They will be arriving late [ ] [ ]
    2. She is studying hard because the exam is tomorrow [ ] [ ]

  2. Used to form the passive voice of a verb, indicating that the subject is acted upon.

    1. The letter will be delivered by him [ ] [ ]
    2. The report was being reviewed by the manager before the presentation. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "be" in English means: To exist or happen., To have a specified identity or role., Used to indicate a future action or event..

The phonetic transcription of "be" is /biː/ in British English and /biː/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Example usage of "be": "I will be at home tonight because I am tired". More examples on the page.