being
/ˈbiːɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈiɪŋ] /ˈbiːɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈiɪŋ] /ˈbē(-i)ŋ/ (ame, mw)
being — noun
- beingsingular
- beingsplural
1. any person, animal, spirit, or other life form thought of as something alive and
any person, animal, spirit, or other life form thought of as something alive and real.
Schoolchildren learned that every being in the forest depends on clean water.
every being in the forest
The film imagines tiny beings repairing broken machines inside a sleeping robot.
imagines tiny beings + -ing clause
Temple paintings showed birds, people, and spirits as equal beings before heaven.
After the rescue, the biologist checked each injured being for signs of shock.
文法句型
a being
living/human/spiritual + being
用法筆記
Often used in the plural when speaking about all forms of life or imagined creatures. Singular use can sound slightly formal or philosophical, especially in phrases like 'a spiritual being'.
常見錯誤
2. the fact or condition of existing rather than being absent, imagined, or not yet
the fact or condition of existing rather than being absent, imagined, or not yet real.
For Lina, music was not just a hobby but a way of being.
a way of being
The retreat gave Marco a calmer state of being during a stressful year.
state of being
Scientists still debate how life first came into being on Earth.
The poet wrote about being itself as a mix of memory and desire.
- nonexistence
the condition of not existing at all
- absence
used when something or someone is not there
文法句型
come into being
state/way of being
用法筆記
Often appears in phrases such as 'come into being' and 'state of being'. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is about existence itself, while sense 3 is about a person's inner nature.
常見錯誤
3. the deepest part of a person's nature, feelings, or sense of self.
the deepest part of a person's nature, feelings, or sense of self.
Years in exile changed Mei's whole being, not just her habits.
whole being
The insult shook the singer's being more than the bad review did.
The long illness shook Manuela's sense of being at the deepest level.
In her memoir, Leila describes art as the center of her being.
文法句型
whole being
the center/core of someone's being
sense of being
用法筆記
Usually appears with words like 'whole', 'center', 'core', or 'sense of', and often with a possessive. Unlike sense 2, it points to a person's inner nature rather than existence in general.
being — adjective
- beingpositive
- more beingcomparative
- most beingsuperlative
1. existing or accepted only for now, especially in the phrase 'for the time being'
existing or accepted only for now, especially in the phrase 'for the time being'.
For the time being, the clinic is treating patients in two borrowed classrooms.
for the time being
We're staying with Noor's aunt for the time being until the lease begins.
The museum has closed its upper floor for the time being after the leak.
Christopher will handle the morning shift for the time being while Ava recovers.
- permanent
lasting for the long term rather than only for now
文法句型
for the time being
用法筆記
This use is almost always part of the fixed phrase 'for the time being'. It describes a temporary present arrangement rather than something settled for the long term.
常見錯誤
being — conjunction
1. because; used before a clause to explain the reason for something, especially in
because; used before a clause to explain the reason for something, especially in informal or regional English.
Being the roads were flooded, the coach stayed in Kaohsiung overnight.
Being + clause
I left the office early, being I had promised my niece a ride.
main clause + being + clause
Being that the printer was broken, we signed the forms by hand.
The driver left the package next door, being nobody answered the gate.
- because
the normal and more neutral way to give a reason
- since
common in writing and speech when the reason is already known
- seeing that
also informal, with a similar explanatory tone
文法句型
being + clause
being that + clause
用法筆記
This use is much rarer than 'because' or 'since' and may sound regional to many speakers. It introduces a full clause and can also appear in the phrase 'being that'.