behave

CEFRA2

/bɪˈheɪv/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To act, conduct oneself in a specific manner; used with an adverbial of manner.

Examples

  • Now that you're grown up, you must not behave like that.

  • You are old enough to behave yourself.

At a glance

Sits at A2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
3

Also pronounced

  • /bə-/
  • /bi-/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To conduct, manage, regulate (something).

  2. To conduct (oneself) well, or in a given way; to conform.

  3. To act in a polite or proper way.

More examples

In context

  • Boys and girls may behave differently.

  • He behaves like a child whenever she's around.

  • How did the students behave while I was gone?

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The teacher told the students to blank properly during the exam or face punishment.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English behaven, bihabben (“to restrain, behave”), from Old English behabban (“to surround, embrace, hold, contain, hold back, withhold, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan, equivalent to be- + have. Cognate with Middle Low German behebben, behāven (“to receive, acquire, reach, keep”), Low German behebben (“to act, behave”), German behaben (“to behave”).