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I've never seen "been" been used without have/has/had. But in some songs it appears that they sometime use "been" without have. When I searched on internet the lyrics of some songs, it was actually like "I've been" or "It's been". I always thought that it's not I been, it's I've been but recently I saw the lyrics of the song "Forgot about Dre" in which they use it multiple times as:

  1. ...But I been low key...

  2. ...Sorry Doc but I been crazy...

  3. ...ya'll are the reason Dre ain't been getting no sleep...

The last sentence is quite confusing. ain't been = is not been. Someone told me that we can never use something like is been, e.g "I am been" means that somebody is being me.

Please explain me in simple language, what does I been mean and when is it used. Please do not explain the grammer, that is verb, noun etc; I am learning English without studying formal grammar.

user31782
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    I guess that simply for the sake of the rhythm of the verses, an incorrect grammar is in use, but I'm not ready to answer the question. – M.A.R. Jan 02 '15 at 18:04
  • @MARamezani "I been", AFAIK is not incorrect grammer. Here they explain what it means. The explaination is quite grammatical there, that's why I've asked this question. – user31782 Jan 02 '15 at 18:22
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    I been is never correct in standard English (i.e., the most common rules of English grammar in the U.S., U.K., and most or all other English-speaking countries), but the "have" in "have been" it is sometimes omitted in non-standard slang speech. Also, this use of "been" (without have/has) appears in the English dialect of African American Vernacular English (AAVE). – apsillers Jan 02 '15 at 18:25
  • @apsillers If I use I been, while communicating with someone who is non-African-American, would they understand what I would try to say. – user31782 Jan 02 '15 at 18:29
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    @user31782 Yes, they will understand. (They might also assume you speak a different dialect of English than they do.) – apsillers Jan 02 '15 at 18:32
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    If you look up "ain't in a dictionary, you will find that, though considered non standard by many people, it means not only "am not/is not/are not but also has not/have not". – Khan Jan 02 '15 at 18:34
  • By the way, we no longer employ use to VERB in the sense "be one's habit or practise" in any tense or construction except the past used to, which is pronounced "yoosta" (/justə/). – StoneyB on hiatus Jan 02 '15 at 19:04
  • @StoneyB What should I use in place of use to? Happen to? You say we no longer use it. Has it actualy been used in the past? – user31782 Jan 02 '15 at 19:07
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    It was common in the 17th century, but declined steadily into the 19th; I don't think I've ever seen a 20th century use. I suggest you say merely "I am learning English without studying formal grammar". – StoneyB on hiatus Jan 02 '15 at 19:31
  • "aint been" != "is not been", which would be "isn't been" when contracted, although it is not correct of course. "aint" is a slang contraction of "have/has not". – OJFord Jan 03 '15 at 00:26

4 Answers4

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  1. Been is widely used in a number of British and American dialects as an abbreviated form of present perfect have been/has been. In some cases the form is established as a dialect standard, in other cases it represents a severe elision of have been—/v/ and /b/ are pronounced at exactly the same point in the mouth, so it /v/ very readily disappears in the following /b/.

    • Note that been is not used this way in negative statements.
    • Note that in some dialects been is also used as an alternative past form.

    All of these uses are non-standard and should not be emulated by learners in any register, even the most casual speech: speakers of a dialect in which one of these uses is standard may suspect you of mocking their speech. Stick to the standard forms.

  2. Dialects which employ ain't use it for both {is / are / am} not and {have / has} not. Ain't been thus represents haven't been or, as in your example, hasn't been.

StoneyB on hiatus
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  • What does emulated by learners in any register mean? 2. I do not use AAVE dialect to mock anything; I happen to listen hip-hop which has made me use this dialect. I'll try not to use it as far as I could. Thank you for the answer.
    • – user31782 Jan 02 '15 at 18:50
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    Emulate means imitate or copy. Registers are the various styles of speaking and writing appropriate in various situations and genres. – StoneyB on hiatus Jan 02 '15 at 18:53
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    I included that remark because some learners believe that they should strain to imitate the speech of the people they are talking with, and in some cases that is not a good idea. Most teenagers, for instance, resent their parents' and teachers' attempts to use teenage slang. – StoneyB on hiatus Jan 02 '15 at 19:00
  • Any chance of a bit of support here? (An answer even? :D) – Araucaria - Not here any more. Jan 02 '15 at 22:05
  • @Araucaria I voted to open; but you yourself are far more competent to answer this than I am. You're a widely-read pro-in-training, I'm just a sporadically-read amateur. – StoneyB on hiatus Jan 03 '15 at 00:03
  • "Been" can also be used as an informal abbreviation of "Have you been", as in a question like "Been to the shops lately?" This usage is reasonably common here in Australia, and I have English friends who use "been" this way to. – nnnnnn Jan 03 '15 at 06:43