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Definition 2024


быть

быть

Russian

Verb

быть (bytʹ) impf

  1. to be
    Так бы́ло, так есть и так бу́дет всегда́!
    Tak býlo, tak jestʹ i tak búdet vsegdá!
    So it was, so it is, and so it will always be! [from the Hymn of the Russian Federation]

Usage notes

  • Omitted in the present tense except in the third-person singular "есть", which is used occasionally to express possession or definition or for emphasis. "есть" is originally 3rd person singular but is now used for all persons, e.g. "я и есть тот челове́к" - "I am that person". See also .
  • Negative forms with не (ne) feature stress on the particle in standard Russian for masculine, neuter and plural forms past tense: "не́ был", "не́ было", "не́ были".

Conjugation

Notes on present tense forms:

Derived terms

imperfective

perfective

See also

  • conditional/subjunctive particle:
    бы (by), б (b)