been: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
A1Neutral (used across all registers)
Quick answer
What does “been” mean?
Past participle of the verb 'be' (to exist, to occur, to occupy a position or state).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Past participle of the verb 'be' (to exist, to occur, to occupy a position or state).
Indicates existence, experience, or presence in a location or state, often in a completed past time frame, used to form perfect tenses (present perfect, past perfect).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Pronunciation differs significantly, particularly in vowel quality and the potential for vowel reduction. In BrE, the standard is /biːn/ (rhyming with 'seen'). In AmE, /bɪn/ (rhyming with 'bin') is standard in most regions, especially in speech.
Connotations
No major connotative differences; the primary difference is phonological and acceptability of pronunciations in formal contexts.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties, but the pronunciation /bɪn/ is more stigmatized in formal BrE than in AmE, where it is standard.
Grammar
How to Use “been” in a Sentence
Subject + have/had + been + [adjective/noun phrase] (e.g., She has been a teacher.)Subject + have/had + been + to/at/in + [place] (e.g., I've been to London.)Subject + have/had + been + V-ing (Present/Past Perfect Continuous) (e.g., He has been running.)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “been” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She's never been one to follow the crowd.
- Have you been to the new exhibition yet?
- I think I've been very patient.
- It had been raining for hours.
American English
- I've been there a few times.
- He's been really helpful with the project.
- They haven't been to the office all week.
- She'd been working there for a decade.
adjective
British English
- There's a been-and-gone feel to the place now.
- It's a been-there-done-that attitude.
American English
- He's got that been-there-done-that vibe.
- The town had a been-through-a-lot look.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used to discuss career history, project status, or past attendance (e.g., 'He has been with the company for five years.').
Academic
Used in perfect tenses to discuss completed research, historical existence, or states (e.g., 'This theory has been challenged.').
Everyday
Extremely common for discussing past experiences and life events (e.g., 'I've never been skiing.').
Technical
Used to describe states or conditions in processes (e.g., 'The system has been in standby mode.').
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “been”
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “been”
- Using 'was/were' instead of 'been' in perfect tenses (e.g., 'I have was there' instead of 'I have been there').
- Omitting 'been' in passive perfect constructions (e.g., 'It has done' instead of 'It has been done').
- Incorrect pronunciation, especially for learners, who may pronounce it as /biːn/ in all AmE contexts where /bɪn/ is expected, sounding overly formal or non-native.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
While /biːn/ (like 'bean') is understood, the standard, most common pronunciation in American English is /bɪn/ (like 'bin'), especially in connected speech. Using /biːn/ can sound overly careful or non-native.
'I have been to Paris' means I visited Paris at some point in my life and am now elsewhere. 'I have gone to Paris' implies I am currently in Paris or on my way there; it describes my present location/state, not just a past experience.
No, 'been' is the past participle of 'be' and requires an auxiliary verb (have/has/had) to form perfect tenses. The only exception is in very informal, non-standard dialects (e.g., "I been there").
In the noun 'has-been' (meaning a person or thing that is no longer popular or successful), the whole phrase is lexicalized. Within it, 'been' functions historically as a verb, but the entire word is now treated as a single noun.
Past participle of the verb 'be' (to exist, to occur, to occupy a position or state).
Been is usually neutral (used across all registers) in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Been there, done that.”
- “Has-been (noun).”
- “Been through the mill.”
- “Been around the block.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'bee' + 'n'. A bee has 'been' to many flowers and returned to the hive (implying a completed visit).
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A JOURNEY (e.g., 'I've been down that road before.'). TIME IS SPACE (e.g., 'That's all in the past, it's been and gone.').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'been' used correctly in standard American English?