be

/bi/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈi] /bi/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈi] /ˈbē/ (ame, mw) · /biː/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈi] /biː/ (ame, ipa)

be — 動詞

  • bepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • amæmɑː(r)/,present simple I / you / we / they
  • am/​arepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • ishe / she / it
  • was,strong form,strong formpast simple
  • waspast simple
  • were,strong form,strong formpast simple
  • werepast simple
  • been,past participle
  • beenpast participle
  • being-ing form

1. to have a quality, condition, identity, or role — used as the linking verb that

1.動詞不及物A1
釋義

是

說明特質、身分、職業或狀態

to have a quality, condition, identity, or role — used as the linking verb that joins a subject to what is said about it (e.g. it can describe a personality, mood, job, or current state).

例句

Trang is a kind person who always remembers her friends' birthdays.

Trang 是一個很體貼的人，總是記得朋友的生日。

be + (a/an) + noun describing identity or character

The classroom was very quiet during the final exam yesterday morning.

昨天早上期末考時，教室裡非常安靜。

be + adjective describing a temporary state

同義詞
  • seem

    weaker — suggests appearance rather than fact ('she seems kind' vs 'she is kind')

  • remain

    implies continuation of an existing state ('the door remained open')

文法句型

be + adjective

be + noun phrase

be + (a/an) + occupation

用法筆記

Subject and verb form must agree: I am, you/we/they are, he/she/it is. In past tense: I/he/she/it was, you/we/they were. This sense covers descriptions; sense 2 covers physical location.

常見錯誤

❌She a teacher.
✅She is a teacher.
💡Chinese drops the linking verb but English always needs a form of be between subject and complement.
❌They is happy.
✅They are happy.
💡plural subjects take 'are', not 'is'.

2. to occupy a particular spot somewhere — answers the question 'where is X?' by sa

2.動詞不及物A1
釋義

在；位於

表示人或物的所在位置

to occupy a particular spot somewhere — answers the question 'where is X?' by saying where someone or something physically sits, stands, or can be found at a given moment.

例句

Valentina is in the garden picking tomatoes for tonight's pasta sauce.

Valentina 在花園裡摘番茄，要做今晚的義大利麵醬。

be + in + place describing current location

The car keys were on the kitchen counter next to the fruit bowl.

車鑰匙在廚房檯面上，就在水果盤旁邊。

be + preposition + place for a physical object

同義詞
  • lie

    for flat or horizontal things ('the book lies on the table')

  • stand

    for vertical or upright objects ('the lamp stands by the window')

  • sit

    for objects placed in a settled position ('the vase sits on the shelf')

文法句型

be + preposition + place

be + here/there/at home

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 always answers 'where?' and is followed by a place phrase, while sense 1 answers 'what or how is X?' and is followed by an adjective or noun describing a quality.

常見錯誤

❌I in the kitchen.
✅I am in the kitchen.
💡even in short answers about location, English requires the verb form.

3. to have life or reality — used to say that someone or something lives, is alive,

3.動詞不及物B1
釋義

存在；活著

表示有生命或實際存在

to have life or reality — used to say that someone or something lives, is alive, or exists in the world (often appears as 'there is / there are').

例句

There are over five hundred species of birds in this forest reserve.

這片森林保護區裡有超過五百種鳥類。

there + be + plural noun for existence

Dinosaurs were on this planet for over one hundred and fifty million years.

恐龍曾在這顆星球上存在了超過一億五千萬年。

be + time span for an existence that lasted in the past

同義詞
  • exist

    more formal; common in scientific or philosophical writing

  • live

    specifically means to be alive (only for living things)

反義詞
  • vanish

    to stop existing or disappear

文法句型

there + be + noun

be (alone or with adverbial)

用法筆記

Most often appears in the fixed pattern 'there is / there are' followed by what exists. Standing alone (as in 'I think, therefore I am') it sounds literary or philosophical.

常見錯誤

❌It has many people in this city.
✅There are many people in this city.
💡English uses 'there is/are' to introduce existence, not 'it has'.

4. to consist of a particular material — used with 'made of' or 'made from' to iden

4.動詞不及物A2
釋義

由…製成

說明物品所用的材料

to consist of a particular material — used with 'made of' or 'made from' to identify what physical substance something contains.

例句

Jisoo's wedding ring is made of gold mined in northern Korea.

Jisoo 的結婚戒指是用韓國北部開採的黃金做的。

be made of + raw material that stays visible

Traditional shoji screens are made from thin paper stretched over wood.

傳統的紙拉門是用薄紙繃在木框上做成的。

be made from + raw material that is transformed

同義詞
  • consist of

    more formal; used in technical or scientific descriptions

  • comprise

    formal; emphasises that the listed parts together form the whole

文法句型

be made of / from + material

用法筆記

Use 'made of' when the original material can still be seen in the finished product (a wooden chair); use 'made from' when the material has been changed beyond recognition (paper made from trees).

常見錯誤

❌The bowl is made by clay.
✅The bowl is made of clay.
💡use 'of' or 'from' for materials; 'by' is for the maker (a person).

5. to be required or expected to do an action — used in 'be to do something' to exp

5.動詞不及物B1
釋義

應；須

正式表達指示、規定或要求

to be required or expected to do an action — used in 'be to do something' to express an instruction, a rule, or an arrangement that has been decided by someone in authority.

例句

All passengers are to remain seated until the train comes to a stop.

列車尚未完全停妥前，所有旅客應留在座位上。

be + to + verb for an instruction or rule

The committee announced that Lakan is to lead next year's project.

委員會宣布 Lakan 將領導明年的專案。

be + to + verb for an arranged plan

同義詞
  • must

    more direct and common in speech; 'be to' is more bureaucratic

  • have to

    everyday equivalent; works in spoken English where 'be to' sounds stiff

文法句型

be + to-infinitive

用法筆記

This pattern is formal — common in official notices, news reports, and written instructions. In everyday speech, learners should use 'must', 'have to', or 'should' instead.

常見錯誤

❌You are leave now.
✅You are to leave now.
💡the 'to' before the verb is required; without it the sentence is ungrammatical.

6. to be scheduled or expected to happen later — used in 'be to do' to announce tha

6.動詞不及物B1
釋義

將；即將

正式宣告已安排的未來事件

to be scheduled or expected to happen later — used in 'be to do' to announce that something has been arranged for a future moment, often heard in news headlines.

例句

The president is to visit three Pacific islands later this month.

總統本月稍晚將造訪三個太平洋島國。

be + to + verb for a scheduled future event (news style)

Reema and Eitan are to marry in a small ceremony next spring.

Reema 和 Eitan 將於明年春天舉行小型婚禮。

be + to + verb for a planned personal event

同義詞
  • be going to

    everyday equivalent; less formal than 'be to'

  • will

    neutral future; 'be to' adds the sense of a fixed schedule

文法句型

be + to-infinitive (announcing a planned future event)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 5 (rules/instructions): this sense announces what is planned to happen, while sense 5 tells someone what they must or must not do. Past 'was/were to' often suggests the planned event was changed or cancelled.

常見錯誤

❌He is travel to Paris next week.
✅He is to travel to Paris next week.
💡keep the 'to' between 'is' and the verb.

7. used in 'if X were to do Y' to describe a possible or imagined situation in the

7.動詞不及物B2
釋義

若；假如

正式表達假設情境的條件句

used in 'if X were to do Y' to describe a possible or imagined situation in the future and to ask what would happen next — chosen when the speaker wants to sound careful or hypothetical.

例句

If Marta were to leave the company, who would manage the design team?

如果 Marta 離開公司，誰來管理設計團隊？

if + subject + were to + verb for a hypothetical future

Were the river to flood again, the villagers would lose their crops.

若河流再次氾濫，村民將失去他們的作物。

inverted: were + subject + to + verb in formal writing

同義詞
  • should

    even more formal alternative ('should you have any questions...')

文法句型

if + subject + were + to-infinitive

were + subject + to-infinitive (inverted)

用法筆記

This is the subjunctive 'were' — used for all subjects in formal writing ('if I were you', 'if he were to apply'). Speakers often replace it with 'if X happened' or 'if X did' in everyday conversation.

常見錯誤

❌If I was to go, what would happen?
✅If I were to go, what would happen?
💡the subjunctive 'were' is preferred after 'if' in this hypothetical pattern.

8. to have a particular price — used informally when telling a customer or asking a

8.動詞不及物A2
釋義

要價；價錢是

口語說明物品的售價

to have a particular price — used informally when telling a customer or asking a shop assistant how much something costs.

例句

These fresh strawberries are three dollars a box at the farmers' market.

這些新鮮草莓在農夫市集一盒三美元。

be + price + measure noun for retail pricing

How much was that handmade scarf you bought in Istanbul?

你在伊斯坦堡買的那條手工圍巾多少錢？

how much + be + noun for asking a past price

同義詞
  • cost

    more neutral; preferred in writing and formal speech

文法句型

be + price

用法筆記

Common in shops, taxis, and casual conversation. In more formal contexts ('the textbook costs $40'), the verb 'cost' replaces this use of 'be'.

常見錯誤

❌How much it is?
✅How much is it?
💡questions invert the verb and subject; 'is' comes before 'it'.

9. to add up to or equal a particular number or amount — used in maths, totals, and

9.動詞不及物A2
釋義

等於；共是

表示數量或計算結果相等

to add up to or equal a particular number or amount — used in maths, totals, and measurements to link two quantities that have the same value.

例句

Two plus two is four — Hoa learned that on her first day of school.

二加二等於四，Hoa 上學第一天就學到了。

X + be + result in basic arithmetic

One kilometre is roughly six tenths of a mile in distance.

一公里大約等於十分之六英里。

be + equivalent measurement

同義詞
  • equal

    used as a verb in maths and formulas ('x equals y')

  • make

    informal alternative ('two and two make four')

文法句型

number + be + number

X + be + equal to + Y

用法筆記

In equations and totals, 'is' often replaces 'equals' in everyday speech. Number agreement follows the subject, not the result: 'three apples are enough' (subject is plural).

常見錯誤

❌Six and four are equal ten.
✅Six and four equal ten.' OR 'Six plus four is ten.
💡don't combine 'are' with 'equal' as a verb.

be — 助動詞