būti

Lithuanian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *bū́ˀtei; present tense forms are from Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- (“to be”); suppletive stem forms derive from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to become”). Compare identical situation in Old Church Slavonic бꙑти (byti). Cognate to Latvian būt.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Verb

bū́ti (third-person present tense yrà, third-person past tense bùvo)

1. to be
2. to exist
3. to become

Usage notes

The copular verb bū́ti may be omitted in the present tense. For example, the yrà is optional in the sentence:

• Lietuvà (yrà) labaĩ gražì šalìs.

  Lithuania is a very beautiful country.

When omitting the present-tense copula, it is possible to add emphasis through a change in intonation, the addition of the pronoun taĩ (“that; ”), or the writing of a dash symbol (–).

• Lietuvà – taĩ labaĩ gražì šalìs.

  Lithuania – now that's a very beautiful country.

Conjugation

Derived terms

References

• “būti”, in Lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of the Lithuanian language], lkz.lt, 1941–2024
• Vytautas Ambrazas (2006) “4. Syntax § 1.19 The copula”, in Lithuanian Grammar, 2nd revised edition, pages 469–470

Etymology 2

Participle

būti

1. nominative masculine plural of būtas