J’étais (en. I was)

ʒe tɛ

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

verb

Indicates the state or condition of a person or thing in the past.

When I was young, I often played in the park.

Quand j'étais jeune, je jouais souvent au parc.

Used to describe a previous situation.

I was on vacation last summer.

J'étais en vacances l'été dernier.

To express the identity or role of a person in the past.

I was a student at university.

J'étais étudiant à l'université.

From the Latin verb 'esse', meaning 'to be'.

I was daydreaming

I was dreaming or I wasn’t paying attention.

j’étais dans la lune

I was just about to...

I was very close to doing something.

j’étais à deux doigts de...

I was delighted

I was very happy.

j’étais ravi

to be

State verb that indicates the existence or nature of an individual.

être

I am

Form of the verb 'to be' in the present tense in the first person singular.

je suis

you were

Another form of the verb 'to be' in the imperfect tense.

étais

I was a bit lost

At the meeting, I was a bit lost.

À la réunion, j’étais un peu perdu.

I was unclear

When he started to explain, I was unclear.

Quand il a commencé à expliquer, j’étais dans le flou.