bí

See also: Appendix:Variations of "bi"

Contents

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʲiː/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish bí, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to grow, become, come into being, appear”).

The present indicative independent affirmative analytic form is from Old Irish at·tá, from Proto-Celtic *ad-tāyeti (compare Welsh taw (“there is”)), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“stand”).

Verb

bí (present analytic tá, future analytic beidh, verbal noun bheith)

1. (intransitive) be

Usage notes

• Only used with adjective or prepositional phrases as the predicate, never with noun phrases, for which the copular particle is is used instead.

Conjugation

Although the present dependent is generally used instead, the present independent affirmative is immune to lenition in most dialects and never would be subject to eclipsis.

Conjugation of bí

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present independent affirmative	táim; tá mé	tá tú; táir†; taoi†	tá sé, sí	táimid; tá muid	tá sibh; táthaoi	tá siad; táid; tádar	atá; atáim (1st sg.); atáir, ataoi (2nd sg.); atáimid (1st pl.); atáthaoi (2nd pl.); atáid (3rd pl.); atáthar (autonomous)	táthar
	present dependent	fuilim; fuil mé	fuil tú; fuilir†	fuil sé, sí	fuilimid; fuil muid	fuil sibh	fuil siad; fuilid	a bhfuil*	fuiltear
	present negative‡	nílim; níl mé	níl tú; nílir†	níl sé, sí	nílimid; níl muid	níl sibh	níl siad; nílid	nach bhfuil	níltear
	present habitual	bím	bíonn tú; bír†	bíonn sé, sí; bí sé, sí	bímid; bíonn muid	bíonn sibh	bíonn siad; bíd†	a bhíonn; a bhíonns†; a bhíos† / a mbíonn*; a mbíonns*†; a mbíos*†	bítear
	past habitual	bhínn / mbínn‡‡	bhíteá / mbíteᇇ	bhíodh sé, sí / mbíodh sé, s퇇	bhímis; bhíodh muid / mbímis‡‡; mbíodh muid‡‡	bhíodh sibh / mbíodh sibh‡‡	bhídís; bhíodh siad / mbídís‡‡; mbíodh siad‡‡	a bhíodh / a mbíodh*	bhítí / mbít퇇
	past independent	bhí mé; bhíos	bhí tú; bhís	bhí sé, sí	bhíomar; bhí muid	bhí sibh; bhíobhair	bhí siad; bhíodar	a bhí	bhíothas
	past dependent	raibh mé; rabhas	raibh tú; rabhais	raibh sé, sí	rabhamar; raibh muid	raibh sibh; rabhabhair	raibh siad; rabhadar	a raibh*	rabhthas
	future	beidh mé; bead	beidh tú; beir†	beidh sé, sí	beimid; beidh muid	beidh sibh	beidh siad; beid†	a bheidh; a bheas† / a mbeidh; a mbeas†	beifear
conditional		bheinn / mbeinn‡‡	bheifeá / mbeifeᇇ	bheadh sé, sí / mbeadh sé, s퇇	bheimis; bheadh muid / mbeimis‡‡; mbeadh muid‡‡	bheadh sibh / mbeadh sibh‡‡	bheidís; bheadh siad / mbeidís‡‡; mbeadh siad‡‡	a bheadh / a mbeadh*	bheifí / mbeif퇇
subjunctive	present	go raibh mé; go rabhad†	go raibh tú; go rabhair†	go raibh sé, sí	go rabhaimid; go raibh muid	go raibh sibh	go raibh siad; go rabhaid†	—	go rabhthar
	past	dá mbeinn	dá mbeifeá	dá mbeadh sé, sí	dá mbeimis; beadh muid	dá mbeadh sibh	dá mbeidís; beadh siad	—	dá mbeifí
imperative		bím	bí	bíodh sé, sí	bímis	bígí; bídh†	bídís	—	bítear
verbal noun		bheith

* Indirect relative
† Archaic or dialect form
‡ Quasi-independent; formed from a contraction of ní and the appropriate form of fhuil
‡‡ Dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Derived terms

• bí ann (“exist”, verb, literally “be there”)

Etymology 2

From Old Irish bí (“pitch”).

Noun

bí f (genitive singular bí)

1. pitch, resin

Declension

Declension of bí

Fourth declension

Bare forms (no plural of this noun) Case Singular Nominative bí Vocative a bhí Genitive bí Dative bí

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Nominative an bhí Genitive na bí Dative leis an mbí don bhí

Etymology 3

Inflected forms.

Adjective

bí

1. (literary) genitive singular masculine of beo (“living”)

Noun

bí m sg

1. (literary) genitive singular of beo (“living being”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
bí	bhí	mbí
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• "bí" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• C. Marstrander, E. G. Quin et al., editors (1913–76), “attá”, in Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN
• C. Marstrander, E. G. Quin et al., editors (1913–76), “1 bí”, in Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN
• Entries containing “bí” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “bí” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.

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Mandarin

Romanization

bí (Zhuyin ㄅㄧˊ)

1. Pinyin transcription of 荸
2. Pinyin transcription of 襣
3. Pinyin transcription of 魮
4. Pinyin transcription of 鼻

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Min Nan

For pronunciation and definitions of bí – see 米 (“hulled or husked uncooked rice; husked seed; etc.”). (This character, bí, is the Pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 米.)

For pronunciation and definitions of bí – see 美 (“beautiful; pretty; attractive; good-looking; delicious; tasty; flavoursome; etc.”). (This character, bí, is the Pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 美.)

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Navajo

Pronoun

bí

1. third person singular and dual pronoun: he, she, it; they two
2. third person singular and dual possessive pronoun: his, hers, its; theirs (for two people)
   • 1995, Goossen, Irvy, Diné Bizaad: Speak, Read, Write Navajo, Salina Bookshelf, →ISBN, page 73:

     Łį́į́łgaii éí shicheii bí.

     The white horse is my grandfather's.

Derived terms

• daabí

See also

Navajo personal pronouns

	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	shí	nihí	danihí
2nd person	ni	nihí	danihí
3rd person	bí	bí	daabí
4th person (3a)	hó	hó	daahó

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Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʲiː/

Etymology 1

Inflected forms of at·tá, derived from Proto-Celtic *buyeti, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-.

Alternative forms

• bii

Verb

·bí

1. second/third-person singular habitual present indicative conjunct of at·tá

bí

1. second-person singular imperative of at·tá

Descendants

The following forms are descended from the imperative:

• Irish: bí
• Manx: bee
• Scottish Gaelic: bi

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

bí (absolute), ·bí (conjunct)

1. third-person singular preterite absolute and conjunct of benaid

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the main entry.

Adjective

bí

1. inflection of béo:
   1. vocative/genitive singular masculine
   2. accusative/dative singular feminine
   3. genitive singular neuter
   4. nominative plural masculine

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
bí	bí pronounced with /v(ʲ)-/	mbí
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

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Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓi˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɪj˨˩˦]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɪj˦˥]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Vietic *k-biːrʔ ~ *k-piːrʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *cpiir (“pumpkin”); cognate with Muong pỉl, proto-Monic *cmpiir (modern Mon သ္ပဳ (həpɔe, “pumpkin”)).

Alternative forms

• (Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh) bín

Noun

(classifier cây, trái, quả) bí (𦷬)

1. pumpkin
2. other plants in the Cucurbitaceae family

Derived terms

Derived terms

• bầu bí
• bí đao
• bí đỏ
• bí ngòi
• bí ngô

 

Etymology 2

Sino-Vietnamese word from 祕.

Adjective

bí

1. (only in compounds) mysterious, secret, unknown

Derived terms

Derived terms

• bí ẩn
• bí hiểm
• bí mật
• thần bí

 

Verb

bí

1. (informal or slang) to not know

   Cái đó thì bí.

   I don't know about that.