nebuvo

Nebuvo is a Lithuanian verb form that serves as the past tense negation of būti, the verb meaning to be. It translates to "was not" or "were not" in English and is used to express the absence of existence, presence, or occurrence in the past. Nebuvo is a finite form that can attach to any subject in past contexts.

Grammatically, nebuvo is created by adding the negation particle ne- to the past tense form buvo, which is the third person singular/plural past tense of būti. Because of this, nebuvo is used across different subjects to negate states or events in the past. It can function as the main verb in a clause or as part of a larger past-tense construction with participles, depending on the sentence.

Etymology and usage notes: nebuvo derives from būti (to be) with the negating prefix ne-. The form is common in both spoken and written Lithuanian and is frequently employed to set scenes, report past events, or negate sentences about past conditions. It does not carry a separate lexical meaning beyond negation of the past forms of būti.

Examples:

- Nebuvo jokio atsakymo. There was no answer.

- Nebuvo laiko atvykti. There was no time to come.

- Nebuvo nė vieno žmogaus. There wasn’t a single person.

See also: be-forms in Lithuanian and other negative past constructions built with ne- and the verb būti.