is
See also Appendix:Variations of "is"
English
Etymology
From Middle English, from Old English is, from Proto-Germanic *isti, a form of Proto-Germanic *wesaną (“to be”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti (“is”). Cognate with West Frisian is (“is”), Dutch is (“is”), German ist (“is”), Old Swedish is (“is”). The paradigm of "to be" has been since the time of Proto-Germanic a synthesis of four originally distinct verb stems. The infinitive form "to be" is from *bʰuH- (“to become”). The forms is and am are derived from *h₁es- (“to be”) whereas the form are comes from *iraną (“to rise, be quick, become active”). Lastly, the past forms starting with "w-" such as was and were are from *h₂wes- (“to reside”).
Pronunciation
Verb
is
- Third-person singular simple present indicative form of be.
- He is a doctor. He retired some time ago.
- Should he do the task, it is vital that you follow him.
- It all depends on what the meaning of is is. - Bill Clinton
Quotations
- For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.
Translations
Translations
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See also
Statistics
Anagrams
Afrikaans
Verb
is
- am, are, is (present tense, all persons, plural and singular of wees, to be)
- Forms the perfect passive voice when followed by a past participle
Danish
Etymology
From Old Norse íss, from Proto-Germanic *īsą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eiH-.
Pronunciation
- IPA: /iːs/
- Rhymes: -iːs
Noun
is c (singular definite isen, plural indefinite is)
- (uncountable) ice, ice cream (water in frozen form, dessert)
- (countable) ice, ice cream (ice cream on a stick or in a wafer cone)
Inflection
Inflection of is
| common gender | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
| nominative, dative and accusative | is | isen | is | isene |
| genitive | is' | isens | is' | isenes |
Dutch
Pronunciation
Verb
is
- third-person singular present indicative of zijn; is, equals
- Twaalf min drie is negen — twelve minus three equals nine
Adverb
is
Anagrams
Hungarian
Etymology
Cognate of és (“and”).
Pronunciation
Adverb
is
- also, too, as well
- (after an interrogative word) again (used in a question to ask something one has forgotten)
- Hogy is hívják? (What's that called, again?)
Synonyms
Derived terms
- Expressions
Irish
Etymology 1
From agus.
Pronunciation
Conjunction
is
- reduced form of agus
Etymology 2
From Old Irish is (“is”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- (“to be”).
Pronunciation
Particle
is
- Present/future realis copula form
- Is múinteoir é Dónall.
- Dónall is a teacher. (definition: predicate is indefinite)
- Is é Dónall an múinteoir.
- Dónall is the teacher. (identification: predicate is definite)
- Is féidir liom snámh.
- I can swim. (idiomatic noun predicate)
- Is maith liom tae.
- I like tea. (idiomatic adjective predicate)
- Is mise a chonnaic é.
- I'm the one who saw him (compare Hiberno-English "'Tis I who saw him"; cleft sentence)
- Is é Dónall atá ina mhúinteoir.
- It's Dónall who is a teacher. (cleft sentence)
- Is múinteoir é Dónall.
- Used to introduce the comparative/superlative form of adjectives
- an buachaill is mó
- the bigger boy; the biggest boy
- Is mó an buachaill ná Séamas.
- The boy is bigger than James.
- Is é Séamas an buachaill is mó in Éirinn!
- James is the biggest boy in Ireland! (lit. "It is James (who is) the boy (who) is biggest in Ireland")
- an buachaill is mó
Usage notes
Used in present and future sentences for identification or definition of a subject as the person/object identified in the predicate of the sentence. Sometimes used with noun or adjective predicates, especially in certain fixed idiomatic phrases. Used to introduce cleft sentences, which are extremely common in Irish. It is not a verb.
In comparative/superlative formations, is is strictly speaking the relative of the copula, hence an buachaill is mó literally means "the boy who is biggest", i.e. "the biggest boy". The thing compared is introduced by ná (“than”).
Related terms
Irish copular forms
Simple copular forms
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Compound copular forms
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Latin
Etymology 1
Inflected form of eō (“go”).
Pronunciation
Verb
īs
- second-person singular present active indicative of eo
Etymology 2
From Proto-Indo-European *éy, *íh₂, *íd (“the”).
Pronunciation
Pronoun
- (demonstrative) it; he (refers to a masculine word), this, that
- Is ad me rescripsit.
- He wrote to me again.
- Is ad me rescripsit.
Declension
Irregular: similar to first and second declensions, except for singular genitives ending in "-ius" and singular datives ending in "-ī".
| Number | Singular | Plural | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case \ Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
| nominative | is | ea | id | eī, iī | eae | ea | |
| genitive | eius | eius | eius | eōrum | eārum | eōrum | |
| dative | eī | eī | eī | eīs, iīs | eīs, iīs | eīs, iīs | |
| accusative | eum | eam | id | eōs | eās | ea | |
| ablative | eō | eā | eō | eīs, iīs | eīs, iīs | eīs, iīs | |
See also
Latin personal pronouns
| Number | Person | Gender | Nominative | Genitive | Dative | Accusative | Ablative | Possessive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | First | — | ego | meī | mihi | mē | meus, -a, -um | |
| Second | — | tū | tuī | tibi | tē | tuus, -a, -um | ||
| Reflexive Third | — | — | suī | sibi | sē, sēsē | suus, -a, -um | ||
| Third | Masculine | is | eius | eī | eum | eō | eius | |
| Feminine | ea | eam | eā | |||||
| Neuter | id | id | eō | |||||
| Plural | First | — | nōs | nostrī, nostrum | nōbīs | nōs | nōbīs | noster, -tra, -trum |
| Second | — | vōs | vestrī, vestrum | vōbīs | vōs | vōbīs | vester, -tra, -trum | |
| Reflexive Third | — | — | suī | sibi | sē, sēsē | suus, -a, -um | ||
| Third | Masculine | eī, iī | eōrum | eīs | eōs | eīs | eōrum | |
| Feminine | eae | eārum | eās | eārum | ||||
| Neuter | ea | eōrum | ea | eōrum | ||||
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Old Norse íss, from Proto-Germanic *īsą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eiH-.
Noun
is m (definite singular isen; uncountable)
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Old Norse íss, from Proto-Germanic *īsą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eiH-.
Noun
is m (definite singular isen; indefinite plural isar; definite plural isane)
References
- “is” in The Nynorsk Dictionary – Dokumentasjonsprosjektet.
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *īsą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eiH-, *ei-, *ī- (“ice, frost”). Cognate with Old Frisian īs (West Frisian iis), Old Saxon īs (Low German Ies), Dutch ijs, Old High German īs (German Eis), Old Norse íss (Danish and Swedish is), Gothic 𐌴𐌹𐍃 (eis). There are parallels in many Iranian languages, apparently from the same Indo-European root: Avestan 𐬀𐬉𐬑𐬀 (aēxa-, “frost, ice”), Persian یخ (yakh), Pashto جح (jaḥ), Ossetian их.
Pronunciation
- IPA: /iːs/
Noun
īs n
- ice
- the Legend of St Andrew
- Ofer eastreamas is brycgade.
- The ice formed a bridge over the streams.
- Ofer eastreamas is brycgade.
- the Legend of St Andrew
- The runic character ᛁ (/i/ or /i:/)
Derived terms
Descendants
Old High German
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *īsą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eiH-. Compare Old Saxon īs, Old English īs, Old Norse íss, Gothic 𐌴𐌹𐍃 (eis).
Noun
īs
Descendants
- German: Eis
Old Irish
Etymology
The lemma is itself is from Proto-Indo-European *h₁esti; other forms are from either Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- or Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-.
Verb
is (copula)
- to be
- circa 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, Wb. 14d26
- Is i persin Crist da·gníu-sa sin.
- It is in the person of Christ that I do that.
- Is i persin Crist da·gníu-sa sin.
- circa 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, Wb. 14d26
Conjugation
| Form | 1st sg. | 2nd sg. | 3rd sg. | 1st pl. | 2nd pl. | 3rd pl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present indicative | am (relative): nonda |
at, it (relative): nonda |
is (relative): as |
ammi, ammin, immi (relative): nondan |
adib, idib, adi (relative): nondad |
it (relative): ata, at |
| Present subjunctive | ba | ba, be | ba (relative): bes, bas |
— | bede | — (relative): bete, beta |
| Past subjunctive | — | — | bid, bith (relative): bed, bad |
bemmis | — | betis, bitis |
| Imperative | ba | bad, bed | ban, baán | bad, bed | bat | |
| Future | be | be | bid, bith | bemmi, bimmi | — | bit |
| Conditional | — | — | robad (relative): bed |
— | — | robtis |
| Preterite and imperfect indicative |
basa | basa | ba (relative): ba |
— | — | batir, batar (relative): batar |
Derived terms
Synonyms
- at·tá (substantive verb)
Old Saxon
Etymology 1
From Proto-Germanic *it.
Pronoun
is (is)
Declension
Old Saxon personal pronoun declensions
| Personal pronouns | |||||
| Singular | 1. | 2. | 3. m | 3. f | 3. n |
| Nominative | ik | thū | hē | sīu | it |
| Accusative | mī, mik | thī, thik | ina | sīa | |
| Dative | mī | thī | imu | iru | it |
| Genitive | mīn | thīn | is | ira | is |
| Dual | 1. | 2. | - | - | - |
| Nominative | wit | git | - | - | - |
| Accusative | unk | ink | - | - | - |
| Dative | |||||
| Genitive | unkaro | inka | - | - | - |
| Plural | 1. | 2. | 3. m | 3. f | 3. n |
| Nominative | wī | gī | sīa | sīa | sīu |
| Accusative | ūs | īu, gīu | |||
| Dative | im | ||||
| Genitive | ūsar | īuwar, gīuwar | iro | ||
Etymology 2
Verb
is
- Third-person singular present form of wesan
Etymology 3
From Proto-Germanic *īsą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eiH-, *ei-, *ī- (“ice, frost”). Cognate with Old Frisian īs (West Frisian iis), Old English īs (English ice), Dutch ijs, Old High German īs (German Eis), Old Norse íss (Danish and Swedish is), Gothic 𐌴𐌹𐍃 (eis).
Noun
īs n
Declension
Declension of Declension of is (strong a-stem)
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | īs | īs |
| accusative | īs | īs |
| genitive | īses | īsō |
| dative | īse | īsum |
Descendants
Portuguese
Pronunciation
Noun
is
- Plural form of i
- 2003, J. K. Rowling, Lya Wyler, Harry Potter e a Ordem da Fênix, Rocco, page 411:
- Se você pôs os pingos nos is e cortou os tês então pode fazer o que quiser!
- If you've dotted your I's and crossed your T's, then you can do whatever you want!
- Se você pôs os pingos nos is e cortou os tês então pode fazer o que quiser!
- 2003, J. K. Rowling, Lya Wyler, Harry Potter e a Ordem da Fênix, Rocco, page 411:
Scots
Adverb
is (not comparable)
- (South Scots) as
Synonyms
Conjunction
is
- (South Scots) as
Synonyms
Pronoun
is personal, non-emphatic
- (South Scots) me
See also
Verb
is
- Third-person singular simple present indicative form of ti be.
See also
Scottish Gaelic
Alternative forms
Conjunction
is
Synonyms
Verb
is
Usage notes
- This defective verb doesn't have the infinitive, future tense, subjunctive or conditional moods.
- The dependent form, used after particles, is e.
- Is is used when linking the subject of a sentence with an object ("somebody is somebody", "somebody is something", "something is something"), otherwise forms of the verb bi are used:
- Is mise Dòmhnall. - I am Donald.
- Tha mise ann an taigh-seinnse. - I am in a pub.
Derived terms
Swedish
Etymology
From Old Norse íss, from Proto-Germanic *īsą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eiH-.
Pronunciation
-
audio (file)
Noun
is c
- (uncountable) Ice; frozen water.
- (countable) Ice; a sheet of ice lying on a body of water.
Declension
Declension of is
Related terms
|
References
- is in Svenska Akademiens Ordlista över svenska språket (13th ed., online)
Turkish
Noun
is (definite accusative isi, plural isler)
Declension
declension of is
possessive forms of is
| nominative | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| benim (my) | isim | islerim |
| senin (your) | isin | islerin |
| onun (his/her/its) | isi | isleri |
| bizim (our) | isimiz | islerimiz |
| sizin (your) | isiniz | isleriniz |
| onların (their) | isleri | isleri |
| accusative | singular | plural |
| benim (my) | isimi | islerimi |
| senin (your) | isini | islerini |
| onun (his/her/its) | isini | islerini |
| bizim (our) | isimizi | islerimizi |
| sizin (your) | isinizi | islerinizi |
| onların (their) | islerini | islerini |
| dative | singular | plural |
| benim (my) | isime | islerime |
| senin (your) | isine | islerine |
| onun (his/her/its) | isine | islerine |
| bizim (our) | isimize | islerimize |
| sizin (your) | isinize | islerinize |
| onların (their) | islerine | islerine |
| locative | singular | plural |
| benim (my) | isimde | islerimde |
| senin (your) | isinde | islerinde |
| onun (his/her/its) | isinde | islerinde |
| bizim (our) | isimizde | islerimizde |
| sizin (your) | isinizde | islerinizde |
| onların (their) | islerinde | islerinde |
| ablative | singular | plural |
| benim (my) | isimden | islerimden |
| senin (your) | isinden | islerinden |
| onun (his/her/its) | isinden | islerinden |
| bizim (our) | isimizden | islerimizden |
| sizin (your) | isinizden | islerinizden |
| onların (their) | islerinden | islerinden |
| genitive | singular | plural |
| benim (my) | isimin | islerimin |
| senin (your) | isinin | islerinin |
| onun (his/her/its) | isinin | islerinin |
| bizim (our) | isimizin | islerimizin |
| sizin (your) | isinizin | islerinizin |
| onların (their) | islerinin | islerinin |
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