# Beh - be'



## agnes

ciao a tutti!

I've got a question.

What do mean: "beh", "bè", "va beh".. I know the rules..I shouldn't ask for translation..but I looked up in many dictionaries and unfortunately I couldn't find those words


----------



## EricB

I believe it's short for "bene" and is used in casual conversation in the same cases where you might use "bene" on its own.  Similarly, "va beh" is short for "va bene."


----------



## agnes

thanks a lot!

I've heard it's the Roman dialect and means..just "va bene"..but i wasn't sure.
Grazie e saluti.


----------



## agnes

and bè=beh?hmmmmmmmmmm...am I right?

My friend told to me that "beh" means sth like "who knows" or "whatever"..hence my confusion


----------



## lsp

It's often a placeholder or rejoinder just like we'd say, "well,..." in English. Which makes sense, since bene = well.


----------



## cecil

agnes said:
			
		

> ciao a tutti!
> 
> I've got a question.
> 
> What do mean: "beh", "bè", "va beh".. I know the rules..I shouldn't ask for translation..but I looked up in many dictionaries and unfortunately I couldn't find those words


 
Agnes,

I think of "beh" in much the same way as we use "well, after all..." or "well, on the other hand" or "well, you must understand" or "well, after all..." in English. "Va beh" is quite different. It means "OK," "fine," "agreed."

cecil


----------



## morgana

I think you can use the three of them just as you use "well" in English. You know, it has many meanings: it can show agreement, skepticism, resignation, embarassment.. or it can be used as a "placeholder", as lsp said.

Cheers


----------



## shaula

agnes said:
			
		

> and bè=beh?hmmmmmmmmmm...am I right?
> 
> My friend told to me that "beh" means sth like "who knows" or "whatever"..hence my confusion


_bè, beh_ are wrong spellings for *be'* (=bene)

Your friend must be referring to *boh*, which is just a sound meaning "I don't know", "who knows". 

Ciao
shaula


----------



## shaula

cecil said:
			
		

> "Va beh" is quite different. It means "OK," "fine," "agreed."


Actually va *be'* is used for reluctant agreement:

"Mi accompagni a scuola?" (=Will you drive me to school?)
"Va be' "(= Alright - I'm terribly busy, but I'll do it anyway)

Ciao
shaula


----------



## cecil

>>shaula]Actually va *be'* is used for reluctant agreement: 
"Mi accompagni a scuola?" (=Will you drive me to school?)
"Va be' "(= Alright - I'm terribly busy, but I'll do it anyway)

Thank you so much, shaula. I never picked up on that.  It is true, though, that "va bene" means "ok" or "fine," without reluctance?

Cecil


----------



## EricB

So much to learn about such tiny words!  Thanks, everyone.


----------



## shaula

cecil said:
			
		

> Thank you so much, shaula. I never picked up on that. It is true, though, that "va bene" means "ok" or "fine," without reluctance?


Absolutely correct, Cecil 

Ciao
shaula


----------



## cecil

Thanks, shaula.


----------



## jazmove

As I was studying Italian I encountered this word "bé". I looked it up, but found no results. Here's the example. Is it a typo?

-Scusi signore, l'Arno, di che colore é?
-Bé, a Pisa l'Arno é giallo-verde.

Grazie!!


----------



## mimitabby

It is not a typo. It's one of those little words that are used in conversation that really don't do much more than emphasize or punctuate.
Like how we use "you know"


----------



## jazmove

But what does it mean exactly? Can I have some example, per favore?


----------



## mimitabby

Scusi signore, l'Arno, di che colore é?
-Bé, a Pisa l'Arno é giallo-verde.

Excuse me sir, what color is the Arno?
Well, in Pisa the Arno is yellow green.


----------



## primo_cerchio

It is probably a contraction of the word bene meaning "well"


----------



## Chiara Angelucci

Here "bè" can be translated into "well"
e.g.
Have you ever heard it before?
Well, somebosy told me about it.


----------



## danalto

Yes, it's BENE.
But it's more frequently written *Beh*.


----------



## primo_cerchio

But it could also mean slight embarassment and  you could write it beh.
Boh means I dont know Bah means I don't know what to do . Buh means booh


----------



## V52

danalto said:
			
		

> Yes, it's BENE.
> But it's more frequently written *Beh*.


 
And  Danalto is right as usual! 
Hi Dan... 
Vittorio


----------



## lsp

Lots more input available on this one, if you're still interested (Advanced Search: bene +beh + bè)


----------



## danalto

primo_cerchio said:
			
		

> But it could also mean slight embarassment and  you could write it beh.
> Boh means I dont know Bah means I don't know what to do . Buh means booh


Spiegazione ineccepibile! 
(Vit, così mi vizi! )


----------



## jinglebella

Hello all!  Please can someone help with the above.  Do you think the 'be' is a typo?  It was just a sentence sent in an email with a photo attached.

Grazie mille!


----------



## Stevo_Evo_22

Perhaps they meant 'beh'?

Hai più contesto?


----------



## TimLA

"ben che" is an older form that might be translated "very well"
or "beh" (as mentioned by Stevo) or "bè".

Let's wait for more context, and the experts!


----------



## Colin

On several occasions I've seen the abbreviation *bhè* used but I don't understand what it means.
The following are a couple of instances that I found when using the search function of the forum:
"*bhè* allora siamo a meno 7 al tuo arrivo in Italia!"
“*Bhè*..in barba a quelli che dicono che l'inglese è una delle lingue più facili!”


----------



## Hermocrates

Colin said:


> On several occasions I've seen the abbreviation *bhè* used but I don't understand what it means.
> The following are a couple of instances that I found when using the search function of the forum:
> "*bhè* allora siamo a meno 7 al tuo arrivo in Italia!"
> “*Bhè*..in barba a quelli che dicono che l'inglese è una delle lingue più facili!”




It's a typical mistake. The correct spelling should be: *be'* (= bene), meaning "well". It's an interjection. 


Rye


----------



## danalto

ryenart said:


> It's a typical mistake. The correct spelling should be: *be'* (= bene), meaning "well". It's an interjection.
> 
> 
> Rye


Please, have a look to post#20


----------



## Hermocrates

danalto said:


> Yes, it's BENE.
> But it's more frequently written *Beh*.



I agree, this spelling is frequently used but philologically speaking the correct spelling is *be'*. The apostrophe indicates the apocope. 

Rye


----------

