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    Was (en. Was)

    /wɔːz/

    Meaning & Definition

    EnglishFrench
    verb
    Form of the verb "to be" in the first or third person singular in the past.
    It was late when I got home.
    Il était tard quand je suis rentré.
    To indicate a state or condition that prevailed in the past.
    It was a beautiful day.
    C'était une belle journée.
    Used to form the past continuous.
    I was reading a book.
    J'étais en train de lire un livre.

    Etymology

    Comes from Middle English 'was', a form of Old English 'wæs', from Proto-Germanic '*weis-'.

    Common Phrases and Expressions

    it was
    Used to introduce a phrase describing a condition or situation in the past.
    c'était
    once upon a time
    Phrase often used to begin a tale or story.
    il était une fois
    it was better before
    Expression that conveys the idea that the past was more favorable than the present.
    c'était mieux avant
    it wasn't bad
    Indicates an experience that was acceptable or satisfactory in the past.
    c'était pas mal
    he wasn't there
    Means that someone was not at a certain place in the past.
    il n'était pas là

    Related Words

    to be
    State verb in French.
    être
    was
    Form of the verb "to be" in the past.
    était
    was
    Past of the verb "to be" in the simple future.
    fut
    being
    Present participle of the verb "to be".
    étant
    existed
    Past of existence.
    existait

    Slang Meanings

    It was cool.
    This concert was so good!
    Ce concert, c'était trop bien !
    He was great.
    This movie, it was really cool!
    Ce film, il était vraiment classe !