been
the past participle of “be”
How often you will meet it
Rank 53 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 543,559 times across 155,370 chapters — 0.258% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 100 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
auxiliary verb
- the past participle of “be”
been in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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A bear's tracks had been found in that ravine only the day before.
The Heart of the Hills · John, Jr. Fox · Chapter 1
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Whether this implied that he had been disappointed in his wife, nobody could tell.
Christian's Mistake · Dinah Maria Mulock Craik · Chapter 1
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I have always been my own master; had at least always been so, till I met Dorian Gray.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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Some of the parts are rather long, but all have been played by children of the age indicated in the text.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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The girl and her chaperon had been deposited early in the desirable second-story window in Durfee, looking down on the tree.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1