Translate Files

N'étaient-ce (en. Were it not)

/n‿e.tɛt sɛ/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

noun

Used to inquire about a past situation.

Were they not mistakes that caused this problem?

N'étaient-ce pas des erreurs qui ont causé ce problème ?

Expresses doubt or questioning regarding a previous fact.

Were they not the ones who had promised to come?

N'étaient-ce pas eux qui avaient promis de venir ?

Allows for questioning a previous assertion.

Were they not the same circumstances that had already occurred?

N'étaient-ce pas les mêmes circonstances qui avaient déjà eu lieu ?

Etymology

The construction of 'n'étaient-ce' is derived from the combination of 'n'' (negation) and 'étaient' (the verb avoir in the imperfect) with 'ce' (demonstrative pronoun).

Common Phrases and Expressions

Were they not the ones?

Questioning the identity of those in question.

N'étaient-ce pas eux ?

Were they not the same ones?

Inquiry about the similarity to something from the past.

N'étaient-ce pas les mêmes ?

Related Words

were

Conjugated form of the verb to be in the plural in the imperfect.

étaient

this

Demonstrative pronoun used to refer to something.

Slang Meanings

A question of confirmation about something controversial.

It was their idea, wasn’t it?

C'était leur idée, n'étaient-ce pas ?

Used sarcastically to challenge a statement.

Oh really? Were they not the ones who said the opposite?

Oh vraiment ? N'étaient-ce pas eux qui avaient dit le contraire ?