is

Meaning

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of be
2. (colloquial) Used in phrases with existential there (also here and where) when the semantic subject is plural.
3. present indicative of be; am, are, is.

Concepts

are

exists

yes

have

mean

was

there is

everything

exist

possess

to be

means

become

self

there are

what is

called

O.K.

dandy

fine

hunky-dory

just

Christmas

Christmassy

very

is in the air

is on its way

is approaching

’Tis the season

located

found

straight

imperfective

in the process

sitting

staying

same as

copula

right

even if

namely

has

he is

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɪz/

Etymology

From Middle English is, from Old English is, from Proto-West Germanic *ist, from Proto-Germanic *isti (a form of Proto-Germanic *wesaną (“to be”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti (“is”). Cognate with West Frisian is (“is”), Dutch is (“is”), German ist (“is”), Afrikaans is (“am, are, is”) Old Swedish är, er, Old Norse er, es. Also, via Proto-Indo-European, Latin esse (“be”)

Cognate with Western Frisian

is

Cognate with Dutch

is

Cognate with German

ist

New

be

1. As an auxiliary verb:
2. As an auxiliary verb:
3. As an auxiliary verb:
4. As an auxiliary verb:
5. As an auxiliary verb:
6. As a copulative verb:
7. As a copulative verb:
8. As a copulative verb:
9. As a copulative verb:
10. As a copulative verb:
11. As a copulative verb:
12. As a copulative verb:
13. As a copulative verb:
14. As a copulative verb:
15. As a copulative verb:
16. As a copulative verb:
17. As a copulative verb:
18. As an intransitive lexical verb:
19. As an intransitive lexical verb:
20. As an intransitive lexical verb:
21. As an intransitive lexical verb:
22. As an intransitive lexical verb: