być

to be

Polish Irregular

The Polish verb "być" means "to be" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "być" across all 5 tenses.

How to Conjugate "być" in the Present Tense

Czas teraźniejszy Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ja I jestem
ty you (informal) jesteś
on/ona/ono he/she/it jest
my we jesteśmy
wy you all jesteście
oni/one they
On jest w domu teraz.
He is at home now.

How to Conjugate "być" in the Past Tense

Czas przeszły Completed actions in the past
Person English Conjugation
ja I byłem
ty you (informal) byłeś
on/ona/ono he/she/it był
my we byliśmy
wy you all byliście
oni/one they byli
On był dzisiaj w pracy.
He was at work today.

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How to Conjugate "być" in the Future Tense

Czas przyszły Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ja I będę
ty you (informal) będziesz
on/ona/ono he/she/it będzie
my we będziemy
wy you all będziecie
oni/one they będą
On będzie bardzo szczęśliwy.
He will be very happy.

How to Conjugate "być" in the Conditional Tense

Tryb warunkowy Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ja I byłbym
ty you (informal) byłbyś
on/ona/ono he/she/it byłby
my we bylibyśmy
wy you all bylibyście
oni/one they byliby
On byłby dzisiaj w pracy.
He would be at work today.

How to Conjugate "być" in the Imperative Tense

Tryb rozkazujący Commands and requests
Person English Conjugation
ja I bądź
ty you (informal) bądź
on/ona/ono he/she/it niech będzie
my we bądźmy
wy you all bądźcie
oni/one they niech będą
Niech on będzie gotowy na czas.
Let him be ready on time.

Frequently Asked Questions About "być"

Is "być" regular or irregular in Polish?
"Być" is an irregular Polish verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "być" mean in English?
The Polish verb "być" means "to be" in English.
How do you conjugate "być" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Czas teraźniejszy): ja → jestem, ty → jesteś, on/ona/ono → jest, my → jesteśmy, wy → jesteście, oni/one → są.
How many tenses does "być" have in Polish?
"Być" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Polish: Present, Past, Future, Conditional, Imperative.

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