be, v.i.1(Copula) a(With indefinite predicate) It is a metal, (is) miotal é, miotal is ea é. John is a fisherman, is iascaire Seán, iascaire is ea Seán, is iascaire é Seán. S.a. BE 2 (k). It is a bad day, is dona an lá é. It is bad, is dona é. S.a. BE 2 (g). It is you I am speaking to, (is) leatsa atá mé ag caint. To-morrow is Sunday, amárach an Domhnach. What is it? (i) céard é féin? (ii) céard tá uait?b (With definite predicate) (i) He is the best doctor in the place, is é an dochtúir is fearr san áit é. Are you the doctor? an tú an dochtúir?, I am, is mé. (ii) Who are you? cé hé thusa? cé thusa? cé thú féin?He asked who we were, d'fhiafraigh sé cé sinn féin, cé hiad sinne. If I were you, dá mba mise thusa, dá mbeinn i do bhróga. It was not you who said it, ní thusa a dúirt é. (iii) (Sé...(ná)) His name was Séadna, is é an t-ainm a bhí air (ná) Séadna. What he did was to shout out, is é rud, séard, a rinne sé (ná) béic a chur as. c (Emphatically) Isn't it very cold, nach é atá fuar!, (Yes), it is, tá, is é. d (With comparative or superlative) He is better than John, is fearr é ná Seán, tá sé níos fearr ná Seán. John is the best (of them), is é Seán is fearr (orthu). 2(Substantive verb) a (Existence) God is, there is a God, tá Dia ann. There was once a king, bhí rí ann tráth. There are people who believe that, tá daoine a chreideann é sin. There was once a king whose wife died, bhí rí agus cailleadh a bhean. The greatest writer that ever was, an scríbhneoir ab fhearr dá raibh riamh ann. That may be, b'fhéidir sin, thiocfadh dó. b (Position) He is here, tá sé anseo. Here he is, seo chugainn é. cI don't know where I am, (i) níl a fhios agam cá bhfuilim; (ii) tá mé trína chéile. d (Time) It is twelve o'clock, tá sé a dó dhéag. When is the match? cathain, cén uair, a bheidh an cluiche ann?e(With adjs., including verbal adjs. & those ending in -ach, -úil, -mhar) He is lame, droll, good-looking, tá sé bacach, barrúil, slachtmhar. It is cold, tá sé fuar. It is broken, tá sé briste. f(With go + adj. or adv. phrase) It is good, bad, fine, etc., tá sé go maith, go dona, go breá, etc.He is angry, tá sé le buile. S.a. BE 1 (a). It is good enough, tá sé maith go leor. He is slightly odd, tá sé beagáinín aisteach. How are you? cén chaoi a bhfuil tú?How is your cold?, cén chaoi a bhfuil tú ón slaghdán?I am better, tá feabhas orm; tá biseach orm. So be it, bíodh mar sin. How is it that . . .? conas a . . .?conas a ráiníonn go . . .?h (Measure, etc.) It is two miles from here to Galway, tá sé dhá mhíle as seo go Gaillimh. He is six feet in height, twenty years of age, twelve stone weight, tá sé sé throigh ar airde, fiche bliain d'aois, dhá chloch dhéag (meáchain). It's years since I saw him, tá sé na blianta ó chonaic mé é. It is seven shillings a pound, tá sé seacht scilling an punt. How much is that? cé mhéad atá air sin?i (Feeling) He was angry, happy, sorrowful, hungry, etc., bhí fearg, áthas, brón, ocras, etc., air. jTá ina . . ., (especially of non-permanent state) He is (now) a teacher, tá sé ina mhúinteoir (anois). It is night, tá sé ina oíche. There was a war between them, bhí sé ina chogadh eatarthu. S.a. BE 4 (b). kAtá annHe is a (good) fisherman, iascaire (maith) atá ann. S.a. BE 1 (a). She is a good housewife, bean mhaith tí atá inti. He is only a fool, níl ann ach amadán. He was barely able to do it, ní raibh ann ach go raibh sé ar a chumas é a dhéanamh. lHe is as fat as an ox, tá sé ina dhamh le feoil. It is as hard as a rock, tá sé ina charraig le cruas. mWere it not for the rain . . ., murach an bháisteach . . ., mura mbeadh an bháisteach . . . Had it not been for him . . ., murach eisean ... 3(Go or come) Are you for Cork? ag gabháil go Corcaigh atá tú?I have been to see him, chuaigh mé ag amharc air. I have been into every shop in the street, tá gach uile shiopa sa tsráid siúlta agam. He was into the room like a flash, seo isteach sa seomra é ar luas lasrach. Where have you been? cá raibh tú?I've been to the museum, thug mé cuairt ar an músaem. Has any one been? ar tháinig aon duine?4(Auxiliary uses) aI was reading, bhí mé ag léamh. They are always laughing, bíonn siad i gcónaí ag gáire. The house is building, is being built, tá an teach á dhéanamh. I have (just) been writing, tá mé i ndiaidh a bheith ag scríobh. I have been waiting for a long time, is fada ag fanacht mé. (Emphatic) Why are you not working? I am working, cén fáth nach bhfuil tú ag obair? Nach bhfuilim ag obair!bThe sun is set, tá an ghrian ina luí. He was sitting on the floor, bhí sé ina shuí ar an urlár. She was standing beside him, bhí sí ina seasamh taobh leis. cThey were all gone, bhí siad uile imithe. He is come, tá sé tagtha. d(Forming passive) (i) He was killed, maraíodh é. He was laughed at, rinneadh gáire faoi. It is said that . . ., deirtear go . . . It is done in this manner, ar an gcaoi seo a dhéantar é. (ii) The house is to be sold, tá an teach le díol. What is to be done? céard tá le déanamh?It was not to be found, ní raibh sé le fáil, ní raibh aon fháil air, He is to be pitied, is díol trua é. It’s to be wondered at, is cuid iontais é. e(Denoting futurity) He is to come to-morrow, tá sé le teacht amárach, tiocfaidh sé amárach. I was to have come but . . ., bhí mé le teacht ach . . . He was never to see them again, ní raibh sé i ndán dó a bhfeiceáil arís. f(Necessity, duty) You are to re-write this page, tá ort an leathanach seo a athscríobh. Am I to leave? bhfuil orm imeacht? an gcaithfidh mé imeacht?5aThe bride to-be, an bhean atá le pósadh. s.To to-be, an t-am atá romhainn, an t-am atá le teacht. S.a. HAS-BEEN. bTo be for s.o., for sth., bheith i leith, ar thaobh ruda, c (Belong) The battle is to the strong, ag an treis a bhíonn an bua.