bijušais

Former: Bijušais

Level 5

To say former or ex-, put bijušais (masculine) or bijusī (feminine) before the noun: bijušais prezidents (the former president), mana bijusī skola (my former school).

How It Works

1. Where it comes from. The past active participle of būt is bijis, bijusi (see -is -usi -uši -ušas). Its definite form, bijušais, bijusī, means former. It is one of the definite participles that have become everyday adjectives.

2. The forms. Bijušais takes the definite adjective endings (see definite adjective case forms):

  • Masculine: bijušais, bijušā, bijušajam, bijušo, bijušajā; plural bijušie, bijušo, bijušajiem, bijušos, bijušajos.
  • Feminine: bijusī, bijušās, bijušajai, bijušo, bijušajā; plural bijušās, bijušo, bijušajām, bijušās, bijušajās.

Notice the s in the feminine nominative bijusī and the š everywhere else.

3. How it is used. It goes before the noun, after words like mans or šis: mans bijušais kolēģis (my former colleague), Bijušajā rūpnīcā tagad ir muzejs (There is now a museum in the former factory).

4. As a noun. In everyday speech mans bijušais or mana bijusī on its own means my ex.

Watch out: in Viņš ir bijis prezidents, the indefinite bijis is part of the verb ir bijis (has been), so the sentence means He has been president. To call someone a former president, say Viņš ir bijušais prezidents. Compare the time words in nākamais and pagājušais.

Examples (6)

  1. Viņš ir bijušais prezidents.

    He is a former president.

    Word by Word: He is the-having-been president.

  2. Vakar satiku savu bijušo skolotāju.

    Yesterday I met my former teacher.

    Word by Word: Yesterday I-met own former teacher.

    Bijušo is accusative because it describes the object skolotāju.

  3. Mana bijusī skola ir netālu no centra.

    My former school is not far from the center.

    Word by Word: My former school is not-far from center.

  4. Bijušajā rūpnīcā tagad ir muzejs.

    There is now a museum in the former factory.

    Word by Word: In-former factory now is museum.

  5. Bijušie kolēģi joprojām satiekas katru gadu.

    The former colleagues still meet every year.

    Word by Word: Former colleagues still meet each year.

  6. Viņa bieži runā par savu bijušo.

    She often talks about her ex.

    Word by Word: She often talks about own former.

    Everyday speech: bijušais used as a noun means an ex-partner.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the -ā ending of adjectives like lielā for the feminine nominative.

    Mana bijušā skola ir netālu.
    Mana bijusī skola ir netālu.

    The feminine nominative of bijušais is bijusī. Bijušā is the masculine genitive (bijušā prezidenta); the feminine genitive is bijušās (bijušās skolas).

  • Using the verb form bijis to mean former.

    Viņš ir bijis prezidents, kas tagad raksta grāmatas.
    Viņš ir bijušais prezidents, kas tagad raksta grāmatas.

    Ir bijis is the present perfect and means has been. The describing word for former is the definite form bijušais.

  • Forgetting to make bijušais agree with its noun.

    Es satiku bijušais kolēģis.
    Es satiku bijušo kolēģi.

    Bijušais changes with its noun. Here kolēģi is the object, so both words are accusative.

How It Connects

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bijušaisLevel 5Former: Bijušais

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Bijušais means former.

Words in This Pattern

bijušais