Present of būt

Level 1

Būt (to be) has its own present forms: es esmu, tu esi, viņš ir, viņa ir, mēs esam, jūs esat, viņi ir, viņas ir. For example, Es esmu students (I am a student).

How It Works

The forms

  • es esmu — I am
  • tu esi — you are (one friend)
  • viņš ir / viņa ir — he is / she is
  • mēs esam — we are
  • jūs esat — you are (several people, or polite to one person)
  • viņi ir / viņas ir — they are

Polite jūs always takes esat, even for one person: Vai jūs esat no Latvijas? See Informal Tu and Polite Jūs.

What būt says

  • Who or what someone is: Es esmu students. (I am a student.) There is no word for a or the; see No Words for A and The.
  • Where someone is: Viņi ir mājās. (They are at home.)
  • Where someone is from: Esmu no Liepājas. (I am from Liepāja.)
  • What something is like: Kafija ir karsta. (The coffee is hot.)

Words for people change with gender: a man says Es esmu students, and a woman says Es esmu studente.

Short answers
A yes-no question is often answered with the verb alone: Vai tu esi mājās? — Esmu. (Are you at home? — I am.)

Other jobs of ir
The same ir says that something exists, as in Te ir kafejnīca (There is a café here), and builds having, as in Man ir brālis (I have a brother). For the negative forms, see Negative Present of Būt.

Examples (6)

  1. Es esmu students.

    I am a student.

    Word by Word: I am student.

    Latvian has no word for a. A woman says Es esmu studente.

  2. Esmu no Liepājas.

    I am from Liepāja.

    Word by Word: Am from Liepāja.

    Esmu already means I am, so es can be left out.

  3. Viņa ir ārste.

    She is a doctor.

    Word by Word: She is doctor.

    Ir is the form for he, she, it and they.

  4. Mēs esam draugi.

    We are friends.

    Word by Word: We are friends.

  5. Vai jūs esat no Latvijas?

    Are you from Latvia?

    Word by Word: [Question] you are from Latvia?

    Polite jūs takes esat, even when you speak to one person.

  6. Vai tu esi mājās? — Esmu.

    Are you at home? — Yes, I am.

    Word by Word: [Question] you are at-home? — Am.

    The short answer repeats the verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Using ir with es.

    Es ir students.
    Es esmu students.

    Ir is only for he, she, it and they. With es, use esmu.

  • Using ir with tu.

    Tu ir mājās?
    Tu esi mājās?

    The tu form of būt is esi.

  • Using the tu form with polite jūs.

    Jūs esi no Rīgas?
    Jūs esat no Rīgas?

    Jūs always takes esat, whether you speak politely to one person or to several people.

How It Connects

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Present of būtLevel 1

Learn This First

The present of būt follows the subject pronouns.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

būtesmuesat