бы

See also: Appendix:Variations of "by"

Belarusian

Alternative forms

• б (b) — used after vowels
• by — Łacinka (Belarusian Latin alphabet)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Ruthenian бы (by), from Proto-Slavic *by, originally the aorist third-person singular of *byti (“to be”). Cognate with Ukrainian би (by), Russian бы (by), Polish by.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bɨ]
• Hyphenation: бы

Particle

бы • (by)

1. used with past-tense verb forms to form the conditional mood: would

   Я паеха́ў бы, калі́ б быў час.

   Ja pajexáw by, kalí b byw čas.

   I would go if I had time.

2. used with an infinitive or a past-tense verb form to express a wish: if only
3. used with a past-tense verb form to express a polite suggestion or request: why don't you, could

Conjunction

бы • (by)

1. (colloquial) like, as if (introduces a comparison)

   Synonyms: як (jak), нібы (niby), бы́ццам (býccam)

References

• "бы" in Kandrat Krapiva's Explanatory Dictionary of the Belarusian Language (1977-1984) at Verbum
• Martynaŭ, V. U., editor (1978), “бы”, in Этымалагічны слоўнік беларускай мовы [Etymological Dictionary of the Belarusian Language] (in Belarusian), volumes 1 (А – бячэ́йка), Minsk: Navuka i technika

Russian

Alternative forms

• б (b) — abbreviation, especially after vowels
• кабы́ (kabý) — colloquial

Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic бꙑ (by), from Proto-Slavic *by.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bɨ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Particle

бы • (by)

1. A verbal particle used to render conditional and subjunctive mood

   Я говори́л(а). ― Ja govoríl(a). ― I spoke.

   Я бы говори́л(a). ― Ja by govoríl(a). ― I would (should) have spoken.; I would speak.; I might speak.

   • c. 1827 - 1828, Alexander Pushkin, chapter 4, in Арап Петра Великого [The Moor of Peter the Great], published 1837:

     — Сказа́л бы слове́чко, да волк недале́чко, — сказа́л, нахму́рясь, Гаври́ла Афана́сьевич.

     — Skazál by slovéčko, da volk nedaléčko, — skazál, naxmúrjasʹ, Gavríla Afanásʹjevič.

     “I’d add a word or two of my own, but even the walls have ears,” said Gavrila Afanasevich, frowning.

   • 1958, “Песня о тревожной молодости [Song of the Restless Youth]”, Lev Oshanin (lyrics), Aleksandra Pakhmutova (music)‎^[1]:

     Забо́та у нас проста́я,
     Забо́та на́ша така́я:
     Жила́ бы страна́ родна́я,
     И не́ту други́х забо́т!

     Zabóta u nas prostája,
     Zabóta náša takája:
     Žilá by straná rodnája,
     I nétu drugíx zabót!

     Our concern is simple;
     Our concern is this:
     That our dear country would live,
     And there are no other concerns!

Usage notes

• The particle бы is often shortened to б (b).
• The particle бы may appear in any place within a sentence except the beginning. In colloquial speech it can be heard used multiple times within the same clause, but this usage is considered erroneous.
• The particle бы is, in some expressions, omitted in colloquial settings. For example:

• словно бы → словно (бы)

Related terms

• е́сли бы то́лько (jésli by tólʹko)
• ка́к бы не (kák by ne)
• сло́вно бы (slóvno by)
• что́бы (štóby)
• я́кобы (jákoby)

Descendants

• → Kildin Sami: пэ (pe)

West Circassian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bəː]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

бы • (bə)

1. The name of the Cyrillic script letter Б/б.

Noun

бы • (bə)

1. den
2. haunt
3. nest

Declension

Declension of бы

case	singular	plural
indefinite	—	—
nominative	быр (bər)	быхэр (bəxɛr)
ergative	бым (bəm)	быхэмэ (bəxɛmɛ)
instrumental	бы(м)кӏэ (bə(m)kʼɛ)	быхэ(м)кӏэ (bəxɛ(m)kʼɛ)
invertive	быу (bəwu)	быхыу (bəxəwu)