This is the 61st most frequent Latvian word.
bijis
"Bijis" means "has been" in English.
Here, 'bijis' is employed in a reported speech to refer to a prior state or action that is being relayed.
Viņa teica, ka viņš ir bijis mājās visu dienu.
She said that he had been at home all day.
In this sentence, 'bijis' is used to denote an experience (or lack thereof) that pertains to the speaker's life so far, in a perfect tense.
Es nekad neesmu bijis Itālijā.
I have never been to Italy.
Here, 'bijis' is used in a present perfect tense context to indicate a past state or action that pertains to the present.