be + genitive

Without with Be

Level 2

Be means without, and the noun or pronoun after it takes the genitive: kava be cukraus (coffee without sugar), be tavęs (without you).

How It Works

Forming it

  • cukrus → be cukraus (without sugar)
  • pienas → be pieno (without milk)
  • vanduo → be vandens (without water)
  • striukė → be striukės (without a jacket)
  • aš → be manęs, tu → be tavęs, mes → be mūsų, jūs → be jūsų

With and without
Su and be are a natural pair, but they take different cases: arbata su pienu (tea with milk), arbata be pieno (tea without milk). See With: Su.

Useful set phrases

  • be to means besides or also: Be to, jis labai malonus. (Besides, he is very nice.)
  • be abejo means without a doubt, of course: Be abejo, ateisiu! (Of course I will come!)

The genitive after be works like the genitive after a missing thing with nėra: Nėra cukraus. (There is no sugar.) See Absence With Nėra.

Examples (6)

  1. Geriu kavą be cukraus.

    I drink coffee without sugar.

    Word by Word: I-drink coffee without sugar.

  2. Negaliu gyventi be tavęs.

    I can't live without you.

    Word by Word: I-cannot to-live without you.

    Tavęs is the genitive of tu.

  3. Jis išėjo be striukės.

    He went out without a jacket.

    Word by Word: He went-out without jacket.

  4. Be vandens augalai neauga.

    Plants don't grow without water.

    Word by Word: Without water plants not-grow.

  5. Be to, jis labai malonus.

    Besides, he is very nice.

    Word by Word: Besides that, he very nice.

    Be to is a set phrase meaning besides.

  6. Be abejo, ateisiu!

    Of course I will come!

    Word by Word: Without doubt, I-will-come!

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving cukrus in the nominative after be.

    Geriu arbatą be cukrus.
    Geriu arbatą be cukraus.

    Be always takes the genitive: cukrus becomes cukraus.

  • Using the nominative pronoun after be.

    Negaliu gyventi be tu.
    Negaliu gyventi be tavęs.

    Pronouns after be take their genitive forms: manęs, tavęs, jo, jos.

How It Connects

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be + genitiveLevel 2Without with Be

Learn This First

Be expresses absence with a genitive complement.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

be