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States of Being

Way to Russia Talk Lounge Forum Index -> Practise Your Russian

Author	Message
Jemascola Just Starting Joined: 19 Oct 2007 Posts: 6 Location: США	Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 11:50 am    Post subject: States of Being I have heard that Russians don't really have words for states of being, but I have noticed that there are two words, быть, which I've read means "to be" and ест, which can mean eat or is. How do you know when to use these words?
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nikir Frequent Guest Joined: 17 Mar 2010 Posts: 54	Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 12:26 pm    Post subject: There are words for states of being, like all languages you get to know when to use them through study and practice. Быть does mean to be but would have something in front to clarify. Должен быть, должна быть, должно быть - has to be, must be or should be. Depending on gender. Может быть can be, may be, maybe or perhaps. Ест is present tense for someone eating, or it could be естъ with a hard sign, a lot has changed since I studied Russian. Есть can mean eat or is. It's a complex language, but then so is English.
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Stanislav Frequent Guest Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 25 Location: St. Petersburg	Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:59 am    Post subject: Nikir is generally right in his comment, except for the hard sign which won't be used in this position since the reform of 1918. The idea that there are no such verbs in Russian most likely comes from the fact that the present tense of the verb to be - есть (am, is, are - Russian has lost the other forms but this one) is usually not used in the present tense. That is, to say "This is a problem" you just need Это проблема - This _ problem, without the verb in between. "I'm a tourist" would be Я турист, or I _ tourist, and so on. However, the verb "to be" reappears in the past (был, была, было, были, depending on the gender, or in the future (буду, будешь, ... , будут). There is more to tell, if you are serious about learning Russian.
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