to be
The infinitive being
To be is the fundamental verb of existence and identity.
It links subjects to descriptions (The sky is blue), states of being (I am tired), or categories (She is a doctor).
It forms continuous tenses (They are running) and passives (The cake was eaten).
To be also expresses existence itself: To be or not to be.
The infinitive appears in phrases about behavior (That's just how things are to be) or obligation (You are to report at noon).
Its conjugations—am, is, are, was, were, been, being—are among the most irregular in English.
State of being real
- lifeAnimate state
- livingCurrently having breath
- presenceState of being somewhere
- realityWhat actually exists
actuality · survival · subsistence · continuity · endurance · persistence · permanence · duration
I-verb for existence
- isPresent-tense existence verb
- arePlural present tense
- wasHad being once
- werePlural past existence verb
equals · seems · appears · becomes · remains · constitutes · represents · signifies
Study of existence's nature
- metaphysicsPhilosophy of existence's nature
- existentialismPhilosophy stressing self-created meaning
- phenomenologyStudy of subjective experience
- DaseinHuman existence as lived
cogito · substance · dualism · materialism · idealism · nihilism · solipsism · Heidegger
Fundamental nature of something
- natureInherent quality or disposition
- coreCentral essential portion
- quintessencePurest embodiment of something
- fundamentalForming the base
intrinsic · crux · substance · heart · soul · kernel · gist · pith
State or stipulation
- statusOne's relative position
- stateCondition or mode
- situationState of affairs
- circumstanceCondition affecting an event
position · standing · alive · well · present · absent · here · there
Who someone is
- selfOne's own being
- individualityUnique personal character
- selfhoodIndividual identity, personhood
- personhoodStatus as a person
character · persona · ego · self-concept · self-image · autonomy · distinctiveness · uniqueness
existence
State of being real
reality · actuality · survival · subsistence · continuity · endurance · persistence · permanence · duration · mortality
am
I-verb for existence
were · equals · seems · appears · becomes · remains · constitutes · represents · signifies · means
ontology
Study of existence's nature
- metaphysicsPhilosophy of existence's nature
- existentialismPhilosophy stressing self-created meaning
- phenomenologyStudy of subjective experience
Dasein · cogito · substance · dualism · materialism · idealism · nihilism · solipsism · Heidegger · Sartre
essence
Fundamental nature of something
- natureInherent quality or disposition
- coreCentral essential portion
- quintessencePurest embodiment of something
fundamental · intrinsic · crux · substance · heart · soul · kernel · gist · pith · root
condition
State or stipulation
circumstance · position · standing · alive · well · present · absent · here · there · ready
identity
Who someone is
- selfOne's own being
- individualityUnique personal character
- selfhoodIndividual identity, personhood
personhood · character · persona · ego · self-concept · self-image · autonomy · distinctiveness · uniqueness · singularity
- infinitivesto do, to go, to make, to get, to take
- futureforthcoming, upcoming, coming, impending, imminent
- verbalsgerund, infinitive, participle, present participle, past participle