Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
бы. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
бы, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
бы in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
бы you have here. The definition of the word
бы will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
бы, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Adyghe
Pronunciation
Letter
бы • (bə) (lower case, upper case Бы)
- The second of the Adyghe Cyrillic alphabet.
Noun
бы • (bə)
- den
- haunt
- nest
Declension
Russian
Alternative forms
Etymology
Inherited from Old East Slavic бꙑ (by), from Proto-Slavic *by.
Pronunciation
Particle
бы • (by)
- A verbal particle used to render conditional and subjunctive patterns
- Я говори́л(а). ― Ja govoríl(a). ― I spoke.
- Я бы говори́л(a). ― Ja by govoríl(a). ― I would (should) have spoken.; I would speak.; I might speak.
- c. 1827–1828 (written), 1837 (published), Alexander Pushkin, Арап Петра Великого (Arap Petra Velikovo) (The Moor of Peter the Great), Chapter 4
— Сказал бы словечко, да волк недалечко, — сказал, нахмурясь, Гаврила Афанасьевич.- — Skazal by slovečko, da volk nedalečko, — skazal, naxmurjasʹ, Gavrila Afanasʹjevič.
- “I’d add a word or two of my own, but even the walls have ears,” said Gavrila Afanasevich, frowning.
Usage notes
- The particle бы is often shortened to б (b).
- The particle бы may appear in any place within a sentence except the beginning. In colloquial speech it can be heard used multiple times within the same clause, but this usage is considered erroneous.
- The particle бы is, in some expressions, omitted in colloquial settings. For example:
Related terms