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    N’était (en. Wasn't)

    ne ɛtɛ

    Meaning & Definition

    EnglishFrench
    verb
    Indicates a non-existence or state in the past in a negative way.
    He was not present at the meeting.
    Il n’était pas présent à la réunion.
    Expresses a fact that was not true in the past.
    What he said was not correct.
    Ce qu’il disait n’était pas correct.
    Represents a past situation that has changed.
    Before, that was not a problem.
    Avant, cela n’était pas un problème.

    Etymology

    From Old French, derived from 'être' with the negation 'ne'.

    Common Phrases and Expressions

    was it not
    Indicates a question about a past event.
    n’était-ce pas
    It was nothing
    Indicates that something was not important.
    Ce n’était rien
    It was out of the question
    Means that a topic or issue was not addressed.
    Il n’était pas question de

    Related Words

    was
    Third person singular in the imperfect of 'to be'.
    était
    to be
    Verb that describes state or existence.
    être
    negation
    Action of denying or refusing an assertion.
    négation

    Slang Meanings

    A colloquial way of saying that something did not exist in the past.
    It was a fantastic party, but he just was not there.
    C'était une fête fantastique, mais lui n’était juste pas là.
    To mock a past status or situation.
    He was bragging, but at that time, he was nothing.
    Il se vantait, mais à l'époque, il n’était rien.