bēon
The English verb 'be' is translated into Old English as bēon.
The verb is used to declare that the subject and object are identical or equivalent.
Meaning: used to declare the subject and object identical or equivalent (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present tense, indicative mood, you use Ic eom for 'I am' and Þu eart for 'you are'. For the past tense, indicative mood, you use Ic wæs for 'I was' and He/heo/hit wæs for 'he/she/it was'. Note that the forms Ic wearð ('I became') and He/heo/hit wearð ('he/she/it became') are used for the past tense, indicative mood to express becoming.
Did you know?
- Old English had a second verb for 'to be', wesan, which was used for temporary stays or being in a specific place.
- The Old English verb bēon is so fragmented that its present and past forms come from completely different ancestral roots, a linguistic phenomenon called suppletion.
- The Old English form eart for 'you are' is the direct ancestor of the modern English word 'art' used in archaic phrases like 'thou art'.
Examples in context
- Ziri wille bēon þǣr.Ziri will be there.Tatoeba #10333832 by Amastan, translation #10215973 by Amastan
- Eall sceal nū elles bēon.Everything is going to be different now.Tatoeba #13900037 by rul, translation #4090107 by fekundulo
- Hit is ālȳfed fætt tō bēonne.It's OK to be fat.Tatoeba #13893338 by rul, translation #12993538 by rul
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Eadric and Wulfrun are discussing their future roles in the village.
- EadricIc wille bēon gōd mann.I want to be a good man.
- WulfrunÞū eart gōd, Eadric.You are good, Eadric.
- EadricHwæt wilt þū bēon?What do you want to be?
- WulfrunIc wille bēon frēo.I want to be free.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
