born

born — verb

1. to begin life by leaving your mother's body.

1.verbA2
Definition

to begin life by leaving your mother's body.

Example

Noa was born in a small hospital near Tainan on a rainy Sunday.

be born in + place / on + day

Twins were born two months early, but both babies grew stronger each week.

be born + time expression

Common collocations
  • be born in
  • be born on
  • be born early
  • be safely born
Synonyms
  • come into the world

    gentler and more literary than the usual wording

  • arrive

    informal and often playful when talking about a baby

Antonyms
  • die

    the opposite life event

Grammar Patterns

be born + place/time

be born + adverb

Usage Note

Almost always used with a form of 'be'. Time and place often follow it, as in 'born in Taipei' or 'born in May'. Distinguish from sense 2, which gives background or condition rather than the birth event itself.

Common Mistakes

My sister born in July.
My sister was born in July.
this sense normally needs the verb 'be'.

2. to have life begin in the family, place, order, or condition that is mentioned.

2.verbB1
Definition

to have life begin in the family, place, order, or condition that is mentioned.

Example

Leila was born into a family of bakers in Tainan.

born into + family/background

Hiro was born blind, yet he became a skilled piano tuner.

born + adjective

Common collocations
  • be born into poverty
  • be born blind
  • be born first
  • be born in Brazil
Synonyms
  • come from

    broader; it can describe background without focusing on birth

  • hail from

    more formal and mostly about place of origin

Grammar Patterns

be born into + family/class

be born + adjective

be born first/second/third

Usage Note

Common after prepositions such as 'into' and with adjectives like 'blind' or 'deaf'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 tells you that the birth happened, while this sense tells you what situation the person began life in.

Common Mistakes

He was born from a rich family.
He was born into a rich family.
use 'into' for family or social background.

3. if an idea, plan, group, or feeling is born, it first takes shape.

3.verbC2
Definition

if an idea, plan, group, or feeling is born, it first takes shape.

Example

The plan for the night market was born during a long train ride.

idea + be born during + event

A new dance group was born when three neighbours started meeting every Friday.

group + be born when + action

Common collocations
  • an idea is born
  • a movement is born
  • be born during a journey
  • be born in class
Synonyms
  • begin

    plain and neutral; less vivid than 'be born'

  • arise

    slightly more formal; often used for situations or problems

  • take shape

    stresses gradual development from an early stage

Antonyms
  • end

    to stop existing

Grammar Patterns

idea/plan/group + be born

be born during/in + event

Usage Note

Used for things that do not literally have a birth, especially ideas, projects, movements, and feelings. It often points to the moment or situation where the new thing first appeared.

Common Mistakes

The idea born last winter.
The idea was born last winter.
this sense is normally used in a passive pattern with 'be'.

4. to be formed because of a particular feeling, event, need, or experience.

4.verbC1
Definition

to be formed because of a particular feeling, event, need, or experience.

Example

The family's silence was born of fear after the police car stopped outside.

born of + emotion

The village festival was born from a small school concert twenty years ago.

born from + earlier event

Common collocations
  • born of fear
  • born from need
  • born out of anger
  • born of experience
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

be born of + feeling/situation

be born from/out of + event

Usage Note

Usually followed by 'of', 'from', or 'out of' to name the source. Distinguish from sense 3: sense 3 focuses on the first appearance of something new, while this sense stresses the cause behind it.

Common Mistakes

Their friendship was born by hard times.
Their friendship was born of hard times.
use 'of', 'from', or 'out of' to show the source or cause.
Idioms

be/be born/be made that way

idiom

Someone's behavior or character is natural to them and not learned.

Mia is always cheerful; she was just born that way.

Don't blame him for being shy—he's made that way.

be born to be/do something

idiom

Someone has a natural ability or destiny to be or do a particular thing.

Sara was born to be a teacher; she loves helping others.

Diego was born to play the piano, according to his parents.

born and bred

idiom

Someone was born and grew up in a specific place.

Aiden is a New Yorker, born and bred.

Maya was born and bred in a small coastal town.

born with a silver spoon in your mouth

idiom

Someone is born into a very rich family.

Brian was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

She never had to work hard; she was born with a silver spoon.

in all my born days

idiom

Used to express surprise at something never seen or heard before.

I've never seen such a mess in all my born days!

In all my born days, I never heard such a strange story.

not be born yesterday

idiom

Someone is not stupid or easily fooled.

You think I'd believe that? I wasn't born yesterday.

Maya wasn't born yesterday; she knows a lie when she hears one.

not know you are born

idiom

Someone has an easy life but does not realize how fortunate they are.

Kids today with all their gadgets don't know they are born.

He complains about his job, but he doesn't know he is born.

there’s one born every minute

idiom

Used to say that someone is very foolish or easily tricked.

He fell for that scam? There's one born every minute.

She believed his lies; there's one born every minute.

(as/as if) to the manner born

idiom

Someone behaves as if they have always been used to a particular situation or activity.

Diego handled the royal ceremony as if to the manner born.

She stepped onto the stage as to the manner born.

born — adjective

born — suffix

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

For the literal birth sense, 'be born' is the normal everyday choice for people and animals: 'Noa was born in Tainan.' 'Come into the world' is softer and more literary, so it appears in stories or emotional writing. 'Start life' is broader; it often introduces background rather than the moment itself, as in 'She started life in a fishing village.' 'Be delivered' is medical and focuses on the act of childbirth, especially from the doctor's side: 'The twins were delivered safely.' 'Arrive' can refer to a baby only in informal, playful speech: 'The baby arrived at dawn.' In most ordinary situations, learners should choose 'be born'.

born ↗come into the world ↗start lifebe deliveredarrive ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • be born in hospital
  • be born into money
  • be born blind
  • an idea is born
  • be born of fear
  • a born leader

Prepositions

  • born in
  • born on
  • born into
  • born with
  • born of
  • born from
  • born out of
  • born to

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

'Born' comes from Old English 'boren', an old past-participle form of 'beran', meaning 'to carry, bring, or give birth'. Both words go back to a very old Indo-European root meaning 'to carry' or 'to bear'. In early English, this participle could be used more widely, but over time 'born' became the usual form for the birth-related meaning, while 'borne' stayed with other meanings such as 'carried' or 'supported'. That is why modern English says 'She was born in April' but 'The load was borne on his back'.