bí2, s. & a. (Lit. gs. of beo1,2). Ar feadh mo bhí, all my life. Mac Dé Bhí, the Son of the Living God.
bí3, substantive v. (pres:tá, aut. táthar, rel. atá, rel. aut. atáthar, neg. níl, aut. níltear, dep. bhfuil, aut. bhfuiltear; pres. hab:bíonn, aut. bítear; p:bhí, aut. bhíothas, dep. raibh, dep. aut. rabhthas; p. hab:bhíodh, aut. bhítí; fut:beidh, aut. beifear, rel. bheas; cond:bheadh, aut. bheifí; pres. subj:raibh, aut. rabhthar; vn. bheith. S.a. beite1). Be. 1. Exist. (a)An Té a bhí agus atá (agus a bheas go brách), He who was and is (and always will be). Tá fear is fearr ná tú, there is a better man than you. Tá daoine a deir (go), there are people who say (that). Ní raibh aon duine nach bhfaca é, there was no one who did not see him. Ní raibh mé riamh nach ndéanfainn é, I was always able, willing, to do it. Bhí lá agus dhéanfainn é, there was a day when I could do it. Lá dá raibh, in days gone by. Níl dochar labhairt leo, it is no harm to speak to them. Bheadh aoibhneas lá a chaitheamh ann, it would be delightful to spend a day there. Ní raibh maith a bheith leis, it was no use talking to him. Bhí go maith (go), all went well (until). (b) (With adverb ann) Tá Dia ann, God exists. Tá an t-am ann, the time has come. Bhí aimsir mhaith ann, the weather was good. Bhíodh comórtais ann, competitions used to be held. Mar a bheadh éan ann, like a bird. An lá atá inniu ann, the present day. S.a. ann1. 2. (Of condition, position)(a) (With adjective) Bheith mór, beag, óg, aosta, to be big, small, young, old. Bíodh sé maith nó olc, be it good or bad. Má tá tú réidh, if you are ready. (b) (With go and adjective) Bheith go maith, go breá, go sásta, go socair, to be well, fine, satisfied, quiet. Tá mé go measartha, I am middling. Bhí an aimsir go dona, the weather was wretched. Dá mbeidís go holc dúinn, if they were ill-disposed towards us. (c) (With chomh and adjective) Tá sé chomh caol le cú, he is as slender as a greyhound. Níl mé chomh hamaideach sin, I am not so foolish as that. (d) (With preposition, adverb, prepositional or adverbial phrase; see under prepositions for further idiomatic uses) Tá sé ag an doras, ar an urlár, sa tine, faoi do chos, it is at the door, on the floor, in the fire, under your foot. Bhí sé as obair, gan airgead, le cuthach, he was out of work, without money, in a fury. Tá an rud sin ó mhaith, that thing has become useless. Tá agam, liom, I have it, I have succeeded. Cá bhfuil siad? Where are they? Tá siad istigh, amuigh, thíos, thuas, trína chéile, they are within, without, below, above, mixed up. Conas taoi? Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? Cad é mar tá tú? How are you? (e) (With noun used adverbially) Tá an lá cineál fuar, the day is somewhat cold. Bhí sí pas beag aerach, she was a little bit giddy. Dá mbeadh sé beagán níos saoire, if it were a little cheaper. 3. (Used as copula)(a) (With preposition i followed by possessive pronoun and noun) Tá sé ina shagart, he is a priest. Dá mbeadh sé ina lá, if it were day. Bhí sé ina shamhradh, it was like summer. Tá an duine bocht ina cheap magaidh acu, they are making a laughing-stock of the poor fellow. (b) (In relative form followed by prepositional pronoun form of i, agreeing with antecedent) Leabhar atá ann, it is a book. Bean mhaith a bhí inti, she was a good woman. Saighdiúirí calma a bheadh iontu, they would have made brave soldiers. (c) (In negative statement with ach)Níl ann ach amadán, he is only a fool. Níl i do chuid cainte ach cur i gcéill, what you say is mere pretence. Níl agat ach labhairt leis, all you need do is speak to him. 4. (As auxiliary with verbal noun or verbal adjective to form periphrastic tense) (a) (With ag or do or a and verbal noun to denote continuing action) Tá sé ag obair, he is working. Bhí na páistí ag foghlaim Gaeilge, the children were learning Irish. Beidh bean an tí ag súil leat, the woman of the house will be expecting you. Ná bí do do chrá féin leis, don’t torment yourself with it. Céard tá tú a dhéanamh? What are you doing? (b) (With chun or le and verbal noun to denote intended action) Tá sé chun, le, labhairt leat, he intends to speak to you. Bhí sé le, chun, teach a thógáil, he was to build a house. (c) (With prepositional phrase and verbal noun; for various idioms see under prepositions) Tá siad ar tí pósadh, they are about to marry. An mhuintir a bhí tar éis imeacht, the people who had just gone. (d) (With verbal adjective to denote completed action) Tá a croí briste, her heart is broken. Má tá na caoirigh caillte, if the sheep are lost. Dá mbeadh mo lámha nite, if my hands were washed. 5. (With prepositional pronoun and verbal noun; see also under prepositions) Tá orm a rá, I must say. Má tá fút imeacht, if you intend to go away. Bhí uaim labhairt leis, I wanted to speak to him. Tá agam le litir a scríobh, I have to write a letter. Ní raibh ionam seasamh, I was unable to stand. Bíodh orm go, I’ll bet that . . . 6. (Used with noun as predicate) (Of time, measurement, weight, price) Attain, amount to, cost. Bheith bliain d’aois, troigh ar airde, slat ar fad, tonna meáchain, punt an chloch, to be a year old, a foot high, a yard long, a ton weight, a pound a stone. Tá sé céad slat as seo, míle ón trá, siúl uaire chun na páirce, it is a hundred yards from here, a mile from the strand, an hour’s walk to the park. 7. (Tá as introductory verb) (a)Cé atá ann? Tá, mise. Who is there? Why, me. Cad é a dúirt sé? Tá, gur imigh sibh air, what did he say? This, that you went away without him. Cár fhág tú é? Tá, sa bhaile. Where did you leave it? At home, of course. (b)Mar atá, mar a bhí, namely. Tá port breá eile aige, mar atá an Chúileann, he has another fine tune, namely, the Coolin. Bhí dhá chú aige, mar a bhí Bran agus Sceolaing, he had two hounds, namely, Bran and Sceolaing. (c)Bíodh (agus, is)go, in spite of the fact that. Bíodh is gur gheall sé é, even though he promised it. (d)Má tá, as to that, however. Má tá, is breá an fear é, as to that, he is a fine man. Rinne tú obair mhaith, má tá, you did good work, however. (e)Cá bhfuil mar? How? Cá bhfuil mar a rachainn? How could I go? (Var:pres. hab. & subj. bí)