Étions (en. Were)

/e.tjɔ̃/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

verb

Tense of the verb 'to be', used to formally express a past action.

We were there to celebrate his birthday.

Nous étions là pour célébrer son anniversaire.

Expresses a condition or state in the past.

At that time, we were very close.

À cette époque, nous étions très proches.

Used in narratives to provide historical context.

In the 90s, we were convinced that anything was possible.

Dans les années 90, nous étions convaincus que tout était possible.

From Latin 'essere', meaning 'to be'.

we were in disagreement

We had different opinions.

nous étions en désaccord

where were we

What was our previous location or situation.

où étions-nous

we were up to the task

We met expectations.

nous étions à la hauteur

state

Condition or situation in which someone or something is.

état

existence

The state of being, of existing.

existence

to be

Essential verb to express state.

être

To have been in a problematic situation.

At school, we were in hot water with our grades.

À l'école, on était dans le pétrin avec nos notes.

To evoke a nostalgic memory.

When I think of my friends, I remember that we were carefree.

Quand je pense à mes amis, je me rappelle qu'on étions insouciants.