S'étaient (en. Had)

/s‿e.tɛ/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench
verb
Indicates a state of being or a condition in the past.
They had prepared for the trip.
Ils s'étaient préparés pour le voyage.
Used to express a reflexive action in the past.
They had met on vacation.
Elles s'étaient rencontrées en vacances.
Conjugation of the verb 'to be' in the pronominal form in the third person plural.
We were wondering where they had hidden.
Nous nous demandions où ils s'étaient cachés.

Etymology

Pronominal form of the verb 'to be' in French.

Common Phrases and Expressions

had agreed
They had established an agreement.
s'étaient mis d'accord
had separated
They had ended their relationship.
s'étaient séparés
had adapted
They had adjusted their behavior.
s'étaient adaptés

Related Words

to be
Verb indicating existence or state.
être
to settle
To take a place, to establish oneself.
s'installer
to meet
To end up in the same place.
se rencontrer

Slang Meanings

Syndrome of procrastination in the past.
They told themselves they had already prepared, but in reality, it was just promises.
Ils se disaient qu'ils s'étaient déjà préparés, mais en réalité, c'était juste des promesses.
Used to ironically refer to a group that does nothing.
All these people had, but in the end, no one showed up.
Tous ces gens s'étaient, mais au final, personne n'est venu.