are

IPA/ɑːr/
KK[ˈɑr]IPA/ɑːr/

are — verb

1. the present tense form of the verb 'be' that we use with plural subjects — for e

1.verbA1
Definition

the present tense form of the verb 'be' that we use with plural subjects — for example, we, you, they, or a plural noun like 'the books' or 'my parents'

Example

Hao and his sister are both students at the same high school.

are + noun phrase for identity

The car keys are on the kitchen counter near the coffee maker.

are + prepositional phrase for location

Common collocations
  • are not
  • are you
  • we are
  • they are
  • you are
Antonyms
  • is

    singular present tense form of 'be', used with he/she/it and singular nouns

Grammar Patterns

are + noun phrase

are + adjective

are + present participle

are + past participle

are + prepositional phrase

Usage Note

Unlike regular verbs, 'are' changes according to the subject. Use it with 'we', 'you', 'they', and any plural noun. In negative statements, place 'not' after 'are' (e.g., 'They are not ready'). In questions, place 'are' before the subject (e.g., 'Are you coming?').

Common Mistakes

He are a teacher at the local school.
He is a teacher at the local school.
'are' is only used with plural subjects and 'you'. Use 'is' with 'he', 'she', 'it', and singular nouns.
The children is playing in the park.
The children are playing in the park.
'children' is plural, so it takes 'are', not 'is'.

are — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In land measurement, 'are', 'hectare', and 'square meter' are all metric units but differ vastly in scale. An 'are' (100 m²) sits between the everyday 'square meter' and the large 'hectare' (10,000 m²). Think of an 'are' as roughly the size of a two-bedroom apartment or a modest garden. A 'hectare' is 100 times larger — about the size of a sports field. Most English speakers use 'square meters' for small plots and 'hectares' for farms or large properties. The 'are' itself appears mainly in formal land records across Europe, parts of Asia, and in older legal documents. For example: 'The vineyard covers 40 ares' (a manageable family plot) vs. 'The farm is 40 hectares' (a large commercial operation) vs. 'The room is 20 square meters' (an interior space).

are ↗hectare ↗square meter

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The verb 'are' comes from Old English 'earun' or 'aron', the plural present indicative of 'bēon' ('to be'). It is related to Old Norse 'eru' (meaning 'are') and Gothic 'sind' (meaning 'are'), tracing back to Proto-Germanic roots. The noun 'are', however, has a completely different origin: it was borrowed from French 'are' in the early 19th century, which itself came from Latin 'area' meaning 'open space' or 'level ground'. The noun was adopted as a metric unit of area in France around 1795 and later spread to other countries using the metric system.