been

IPA/biːn/
KK[bˈɪn]IPA/bɪn/

been — verb

1. the form of 'be' used after 'have', 'has', or 'had' to talk about something that

1.動詞A1
釋義

the form of 'be' used after 'have', 'has', or 'had' to talk about something that started or happened before now, or that has been done to something.

例句

Arjun has been a teacher in Taipei for almost twenty years.

has been + noun phrase (state continuing to now)

The kitchen had been very tidy until the puppy knocked the bin over.

had been + adjective (state earlier than another past event)

文法句型

have/has/had + been + adjective/noun

have/has/had + been + verb-ing

have/has/had + been + past participle (passive)

用法筆記

Only sense that combines with 'have/has/had' or 'being' to form perfect tenses, perfect continuous tenses, and passive voice. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense expresses any state or action carried by 'be', while sense 2 is fixed to the visit-and-return meaning with 'to + place'.

常見錯誤

❌I am been tired all day.
✅I have been tired all day.
💡'been' needs 'have', 'has', or 'had' in front of it, never 'am', 'is', or 'are'.
❌She been to the doctor yesterday.
✅She went to the doctor yesterday.
💡for a finished past time word like 'yesterday', use 'went' or 'was', not 'has been'.

2. used after 'have', 'has', or 'had' with 'to' plus a place name to say that the s

2.動詞不及物A2
釋義

used after 'have', 'has', or 'had' with 'to' plus a place name to say that the subject has at some point in life travelled to that place.

例句

Christopher has been to Japan three times for the cherry blossom season.

has been + to + [country] (life experience)

Have you ever been to a baseball game at the Taipei Dome?

have ever been to + [place] (asking about life experience)

同義詞
  • visited

    more general; works in any tense, while 'been to' is mainly perfect

  • travelled to

    stresses the journey itself rather than the experience of having visited

文法句型

have/has/had + been + to + [place]

have/has/had + ever/never + been + to + [place]

用法筆記

Frequently follows 'ever' or 'never' in questions and negatives about a person's life experience. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense reports that the subject visited the place at some point and is now back; sense 3 stresses that the trip happened and is now finished as a recent event.

常見錯誤

❌I have been in Paris last summer.
✅I went to Paris last summer.
💡with a definite past time like 'last summer', use the past simple, not 'have been'.
❌Yumi has been Japan many times.
✅Yumi has been to Japan many times.
💡this sense almost always needs 'to' before the place.

3. used after 'have' or 'has' as the finished form of 'go' to say someone went some

3.動詞不及物A2
釋義

used after 'have' or 'has' as the finished form of 'go' to say someone went somewhere and is now back, often a quick trip just before the time of speaking.

例句

Elena has just been to the bakery, so the bread on the table is still warm.

have just been to + [place] (recent finished trip)

Cyrus has already been to the post office, so we don't need to stop there.

have already been to + [place] (trip done)

同義詞
  • made a trip

    neutral phrase that also signals the journey is over

  • popped over

    informal British; suggests a very quick trip

反義詞
  • gone

    still away at the time of speaking, not back yet

文法句型

have/has/had + been + to + [place]

have/has/had + just/already + been

用法筆記

Contrast with 'have gone to', which means the subject went and is still away. With this sense, the trip is finished and the subject has returned by the time of speaking. Often appears with 'just' or 'already' for a very recent trip.

常見錯誤

❌Dad is not home — he has been to the office.
✅Dad is not home
💡he has gone to the office.' — if the subject is still away, use 'has gone', not 'has been'.
❌Heloísa has been to lunch — please come back later.
✅Heloísa has gone to lunch
💡please come back later.' — same rule: 'been' means back, 'gone' means still away.

4. used after 'have', 'has', or 'had' with no place name after the verb to say a pe

4.動詞不及物B1
釋義

used after 'have', 'has', or 'had' with no place name after the verb to say a person stopped by the speaker's location for a short time and has now left.

例句

The postman has been, but there was nothing for our flat today.

have been (no place phrase; visitor came and left)

Has the cleaner been yet, or should I leave the keys under the mat?

have been yet (asking whether the visit happened)

同義詞

文法句型

have/has/had + been (no place after the verb)

have/has/had + been + yet/already

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is about someone visiting the SPEAKER'S place and leaving, so no place name follows the verb. Sense 3 talks about the subject visiting another place and coming back, and a place phrase ('to the bakery') follows the verb.

常見錯誤

❌The postman has been to here.
✅The postman has been.
💡for the come-and-go-from-here meaning, no place phrase follows 'been'.