Qu'étaient (en. What were)

/ke ɛtɛ/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

verb

Indicates an existence or state in the past.

The events that were significant for him are still present in his memory.

Les événements qu'étaient marquants pour lui sont toujours présents dans sa mémoire.

Used to refer to a group of people or objects in the past.

The choices that were made at that time seemed wise.

Les choix qu'étaient faits à cette époque semblaient judicieux.

Used in sentences to describe a prior situation or state.

The information that was available at that time led to erroneous decisions.

Les informations qu'étaient disponibles à ce moment-là ont conduit à des décisions erronées.

The term 'qu'étaient' is a contraction of 'qui étaient', deriving from the feminine plural of the verb 'to be'.

what the times were

Expression referring to reflection on the past.

qu'étaient les temps

the moments that were

Refers to memories or past events.

les moments qu'étaient

to be

State verb meaning to exist or to have a quality.

être

was

Form of the verb to be in the imperfect tense, third person singular.

était

Ironic reference to memories of the past.

Oh, the things that were in our youth, that was something.

Oh, les choses qu'étaient dans notre jeunesse, c'était quelque chose.