быць

From Old East Slavic бꙑти (byti), from Proto-Slavic *byti.

• IPA^(key): [bɨt͡sʲ]

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быць • (bycʹ)

1. to be

• It is omitted in the present tense except in the third-person singular ёсць which is used either to emphasise the existence of the subject, a predicate meaning “there is” and to express possession (English verb "to have")

  Ёсць які-небудзь стары, што да вайны тут жыў? (Josc’ jakí-njébudzʹ starý, što da vajný tut žyŭ?)

  Is there anyone old that lived here before the war?

  У мяне ёсць пытанне (u mjanjé joscʹ pytánnje)

  I have a question.

• It is usually expressed in the present tense as a pause, represented in the written language by a dash.

  Я — беларус, а ты — украінец (ja - bjelarús, a ty - ukraínjec)

  I am a Belarusian and you are a Ukrainian.

  Хлопчык — вельмі галодны (xlópčyk vjél’mi halódny)

  The young man is very hungry.

• However, the dash is not written in third person impersonal adverbial phrases.

  Цяжка вывучыць новую мову (cjážka vývučycʹ nóvuju móvu)

  It is difficult to learn a new language.

• Other verbs such as бываць and стаць can also be used instead.