bí

See also: Appendix:Variations of "bi"

Ghomala'

Preposition

bí

1. to (dative)

   Ě há ywə́ bí mú. ― She gave something to the child.

See also

• bhə́ (“down below”)
• bì
• bǐ (“chess”)
• nə̂

References

• Erika Eichholzer et al., editors (2002), Dictionnaire Ghomala’ (in French)

Gokana

Noun

bí

1. feces

References

• R. Blench, Comparative Ogonic

Hokkien

For pronunciation and definitions of bí – see 米 (“hulled or husked uncooked rice; husked seed; etc.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 米).

For pronunciation and definitions of bí – see 美 (“beautiful; pretty; attractive; good-looking; delicious; tasty; flavoursome; etc.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 美).

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʲiː/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish bí.

The present indicative independent affirmative analytic form is from Old Irish at·tá, from Proto-Celtic *ad-tāyeti (compare Welsh taw (“there is”)), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“stand”).

The present dependent is from Old Irish fuil, eventually from Proto-Celtic *weleti "to see", while the past dependent and subjunctive is from roib, an augmented ro-form of at·tá.

Verb

bí (present analytic tá, future analytic beidh, verbal noun bheith)

1. (intransitive) to be

Usage notes

• Only used with adjective or prepositional phrases as the predicate, never with noun phrases, for which the copular particle is is used instead.

Conjugation

Although the present dependent is generally used instead, the present independent affirmative is immune to lenition in most dialects and never would be subject to eclipsis.

conjugation of bí (irregular)

verbal noun	bheith
past participle	–
tense	singular			plural			relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative
present independent affirmative	táim; tá mé	tá tú; táir†; taoi†; tánn tú†	tá sé, sí; tánn sé, sí†	táimid; tá muid	tá sibh; táthaoi; tánn sibh†	tá siad; táid; tádar; tánn siad†	atá; atáim (1st sg.); atáir, ataoi (2nd sg.); atáimid (1st pl.); atáthaoi (2nd pl.); atáid (3rd pl.); atáthar (autonomous)	táthar
present dependent	fuilim; fuil mé	fuil tú; fuilir†	fuil sé, sí	fuilimid; fuil muid	fuil sibh	fuil siad; fuilid	a bhfuil*; go bhfuil*†	fuiltear
present negative‡	nílim; níl mé	níl tú; nílir†	níl sé, sí	nílimid; níl muid	níl sibh	níl siad; nílid	nach bhfuil; ná fuil†	níltear
present habitual	bím	bíonn tú; bír†	bíonn sé, sí; bí sé, sí	bímid; bíonn muid	bíonn sibh	bíonn siad; bíd†	a bhíonn; a bhíonns†; a bhíos† / a mbíonn*; go mbíonn*†	bítear
past habitual	bhínn / mbínn‡‡	bhíteá / mbíteᇇ	bhíodh sé, sí / mbíodh sé, s퇇	bhímis; bhíodh muid / mbímis‡‡; mbíodh muid‡‡	bhíodh sibh / mbíodh sibh‡‡	bhídís; bhíodh siad / mbídís‡‡; mbíodh siad‡‡	a bhíodh / a mbíodh*; go mbíodh*†	bhítí / mbít퇇
past independent	bhí mé; bhíos	bhí tú; bhís	bhí sé, sí	bhíomar; bhí muid	bhí sibh; bhíobhair	bhí siad; bhíodar	a bhí	bhíothas
past dependent	raibh mé; rabhas	raibh tú; rabhais	raibh sé, sí	rabhamar; raibh muid	raibh sibh; rabhabhair	raibh siad; rabhadar	a raibh*; go raibh*†	rabhthas
future	beidh mé; bead	beidh tú; beir†	beidh sé, sí	beimid; beidh muid	beidh sibh	beidh siad; beid†	a bheidh; a bheas† / a mbeidh*; go mbeidh*†	beifear
conditional	bheinn / mbeinn‡‡	bheifeá / mbeifeᇇ	bheadh sé, sí / mbeadh sé, s퇇	bheimis; bheadh muid / mbeimis‡‡; mbeadh muid‡‡	bheadh sibh / mbeadh sibh‡‡	bheidís; bheadh siad / mbeidís‡‡; mbeadh siad‡‡	a bheadh / a mbeadh*; go mbeadh*†	bheifí / mbeif퇇
subjunctive
present	go raibh mé; go rabhad†	go raibh tú; go rabhair†	go raibh sé, sí	go rabhaimid; go raibh muid	go raibh sibh	go raibh siad; go rabhaid†	—	go rabhthar
past	dá mbeinn	dá mbeiteá	dá mbeadh sé, sí	dá mbeimis; dá mbeadh muid	dá mbeadh sibh	dá mbeidís; dá mbeadh siad	—	dá mbeití
imperative
–	bím	bí	bíodh sé, sí	bímis	bígí; bídh†	bídís	—	bítear

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡ quasi-independent; formed from a contraction of ní and the appropriate form of fhuil
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Derived terms

• bí ann (“exist”, verb, literally “be there”)

Etymology 2

From Old Irish bí (“pitch”).

Noun

bí f (genitive singular bí)

1. pitch, resin

Declension

Declension of bí (fourth declension, no plural)

bare forms singular nominative bí vocative a bhí genitive bí dative bí forms with the definite article singular nominative an bhí genitive na bí dative leis an mbí don bhí

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

bí

1. (literary) genitive singular masculine of beo (“living”)

Noun

bí m sg

1. (literary) genitive singular of beo (“living being”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of bí

radical	lenition	eclipsis
bí	bhí	mbí

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “bí”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “attá”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 bí”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “bí”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “bí”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2025

Mandarin

Alternative forms

• bi — nonstandard

Romanization

bí (bi², Zhuyin ㄅㄧˊ)

1. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 荸
2. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 襣
3. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 魮 / 𱇒
4. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 鼻

Navajo

Pronoun

bí

1. third person singular and dual pronoun: he, she, it; they two
2. third person singular and dual possessive pronoun: his, hers, its; theirs (for two people)
   • 1995, Irvy W. Goossen, Diné Bizaad: Speak, Read, Write Navajo, Salina Bookshelf, →ISBN, page 73:

     Łį́į́łgaii éí shicheii bí.

     The white horse is my grandfather's.

Derived terms

• daabí

See also

Navajo personal pronouns

	singular	dual	plural
1st person	shí	nihí	danihí
2nd person	ni	nihí	danihí
3rd person	bí	bí	daabí
4th person (3a)	hó	hó	daahó

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʲiː/

Etymology 1

Inflected forms of at·tá, derived from Proto-Celtic *bwiyeti, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-.

Alternative forms

• bii

Verb

·bí

1. second/third-person singular habitual present indicative conjunct of at·tá

bí

1. second-person singular imperative of at·tá

Descendants

The following forms are descended from the imperative:

• Irish: bí
• Manx: bee
• Scottish Gaelic: bi

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

bí

1. third-person singular preterite absolute of benaid

Verb

·bí

1. third-person singular preterite conjunct of benaid

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

bí

1. inflection of béo:
   1. vocative/genitive singular masculine
   2. accusative/dative singular feminine
   3. genitive singular neuter
   4. nominative plural masculine

Mutation

Mutation of bí

radical	lenition	nasalization
bí	bí pronounced with /βʲ-/	mbí

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Tày

Pronunciation

• (Thạch An – Tràng Định) IPA^(key): [ɓi˧˥]
• (Trùng Khánh) IPA^(key): [ɓi˦]

Verb

bí

1. to peel

   bí bắp ― to peel an [ear of] corn

2. to open up; to tear

   Synonyms: déc, xẻ, xon

   bí nựa oóc ― to tear the meat.

   bí pha mo̱ ― to separate the bamboo panels and peek in

   Că̱m bí slí că̱m lắp

   Up for one night, sleep for four nights

   (literally, “One night with opened eyes, four nights with closed eyes”)

Derived terms

• bí nhác

References

• Lương Bèn (2011), Từ điển Tày-Việt [Tay-Vietnamese dictionary]‎ (in Vietnamese), Thái Nguyên: Nhà Xuất bản Đại học Thái Nguyên
• Léopold Michel Cadière (1910), Dictionnaire Tày-Annamite-Français [Tày-Vietnamese-French Dictionary]‎ (in French), Hanoi: Impressions d'Extrême-Orient

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓi˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɪj˨˩˦]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɪj˦˥]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Vietic *k-biːrʔ ~ *k-piːrʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *cpiir. Cognate with Muong pỉl, proto-Monic *cmpiir (modern Mon သ္ပဳ (həpɔe, “pumpkin”)), Riang sᵊpir¹, Khmu [Cuang] hmpiːr ("melon").

This word was originally referred to some kind of native gourd (pumpkins are from the Americas), most likely the wax gourd, now also commonly called bí đao; or maybe it was (and is still) just the word for cucurbits in general.

Alternative forms

• (North Central Vietnam) bín (in dialects with *-l > /n/)

Noun

(classifier cây, trái, quả) bí • (秘, 泌, 費, 𦷬)

1. pumpkin
2. other plants in the Cucurbitaceae family

Derived terms

• bầu bí
• bí đao
• bí đỏ
• bí ngòi
• bí ngô
• bí rợ

Etymology 2

Sino-Vietnamese word from 秘.

Verb

bí

1. (informal or slang) to not know

   Cái đó thì bí.

   I don't know about that.

Romanization

bí

1. Sino-Vietnamese reading of 秘

Derived terms

• bắt bí
• bí ẩn
• bí hiểm
• bí mật
• chiếu bí
• thần bí

Descendants

• → Tày: bỉ