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    Etaient (en. Were)

    [e.tɛ]

    Meaning & Definition

    EnglishFrench
    verb
    Indicate a state, an existence in the past.
    They were happy with their trip.
    Ils étaient contents de leur voyage.
    Describe a situation in the past.
    The children were playing in the park.
    Les enfants étaient en train de jouer dans le parc.
    Express a condition or fact in the past.
    They were tired after the hike.
    Il étaient fatigués après la randonnée.

    Etymology

    Comes from the verb 'to be', from Latin 'esse'.

    Common Phrases and Expressions

    They were there
    Indicates past presence
    ils étaient là
    Those were better times
    Refers to a favorable time in the past
    c'étaient des temps meilleurs
    Where they were
    To question location in the past
    où ils étaient

    Related Words

    to be
    Verb that denotes the state of existence.
    être
    was
    Third person singular of the imperfect tense of the verb 'to be'.
    était
    are
    Third person plural in the present tense of the verb 'to be'.
    sont

    Slang Meanings

    Were they really there?
    Did you hear the story? Were they really there?
    T'as entendu l'histoire ? Étaient-ils vraiment là ?
    It was too good!
    The concert? It was too good!
    Le concert ? C'était trop bien !