L'étaient (en. Were)

/le.e.tɛ/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

verb

Indicates a state or condition in the past.

They were happy about their trip.

Ils étaient contents de leur voyage.

Marks existence or presence in the past.

The books were on the table.

Les livres étaient sur la table.

Expresses a continuity of state in the past.

We were talking when he arrived.

Nous étions en train de parler quand il est arrivé.

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

They were like that.

This means that they had a certain attitude or behavior.

Ils étaient comme ça.

Those were difficult times.

Refers to a past period marked by difficulties.

C'étaient des temps difficiles.

They were together.

Means that they were in each other's company.

Ils étaient ensemble.

to be

Verb meaning to exist or have a certain quality.

être

state

Condition, situation, or mode of existence of something.

état

existing

Which has existence.

existent

To be out of it

When they say that, they are really 'out of it'.

Quand ils disent ça, ils sont vraiment 'à l'ouest'.

To be unclear

They were completely in the dark about what was happening.

Ils étaient complètement dans le flou sur ce qui se passait.