# være
## Danish
### Alternative forms

* vare (Lollandsk, Sydfalstersk)
* vere (Nordsjællandsk)

### Etymology

All forms except the present are from Old Danish wæræ, waræ, from Old Norse vera, vesa, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną (“to be”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes- (“to dwell, live, reside”). The present tense is derived from a different root: Proto-Germanic *izum, *izud, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- (“to be”), which is also the origin of English is, are, Latin sum, and German ist. In Scandinavian, the singular has taken over the stem of the plural (with -z- > -r-).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈvɛːʁə/, [ˈʋɛːɐ], [ˈʋɛːɒ̽]

### Verb

være (present tense er, past tense var, perfect tense har været)
* (copulative) to be (expresses identity between the subject and a predicative)
    Kierkegaard er en berømt filosof.Kierkegaard is a famous philosopher.
* (intransitive) to be, exist (with an adverbial phrase and/or the dummy subject der)
    På kontoret var (der) 15 ansatte.There were 15 employees in the office.
* (intransitive) to be (in cleft sentences emphasizing a noun phrase, with the dummy subject det and a relative clause)
    Det er Anders der har spist kagen.It was Anders who ate the cake.
* (auxiliary) to be (passive perfect tense with the past participle)
    Huset er bygget af træ.The house is built from wood.
* (auxiliary) to have (active perfect tense with the past participle of certain intransitive verbs)
    Synonym: have (used with most words)
    Pigen er løbet væk.The girl has run away.

#### Conjugation

Note also archaic plural form ere (Vi ere - "We are")

#### Derived terms

* derværende
* indeværende
* lade være
* nuværende
* nærværende
* overvære
* undvære
* være til
* være ved
* væremåde
* væren
* værested

### References

* “være” in Den Danske Ordbog
* “være,2” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology 1

All forms except the present are from Danish være, from Old Norse vera, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną (“to be”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes- (“to dwell, live, reside”). The present tense is derived from a different root: Proto-Germanic *izum, *izud, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- (“to be”), which is also the origin of English is, are, Latin sum, and German ist.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈʋæːɾə/

#### Verb

være (imperative vær, present tense er, simple past var, past participle vært, present participle værende)
* to be

##### Derived terms

* fravær
* fraværende
* gjenværende
* nærvær
* nåværende
* overvære
* samvær
* velvære
* vær så snill
* værende

### Etymology 2

From Old Norse viðra, probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd-.

#### Verb

være (imperative vær, present tense værer, simple past and past participle væra or været, present participle værende)
* (archaic) to sense or feel
    Jeg værer fiendtlighet mellom Ola og Per.I can sense hostility between Ola and Per.

### See also

* vera, vere (Nynorsk)

### References

* “være” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology 1
#### Noun

være n (definite singular været, indefinite plural være, definite plural væra)
* an existence in a location
* a place or location that someone or something can exist

### Etymology 2
#### Adjective

være
* definite singular of vær
* plural of vær

### Etymology 3
#### Verb

være (present tense er, past tense var, past participle vore, passive infinitive værast, present participle værande, imperative vær)
* (pre-1938) alternative form of vere