era
/ˈeɾa/
The English phrase "he was" can be translated into Spanish as era.
era is used to describe someone's characteristics, such as their personality, physical appearance or social status, in the past. It is also used to describe ongoing or habitual actions or states in the past.
Which one should you use?
While era describes ongoing states or descriptions, you should use fue if you are referring to a completed event, a specific bounded period of time or a finished action in the past.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form era is the imperfect tense. It is used for descriptions or habitual actions. When the subject changes to tú (the informal "you"), the form changes to eras.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈeɾa/
Did you know?
- Because era describes ongoing states, it is the primary tense used in Spanish fairy tales to introduce characters, similar to 'Once upon a time'.
- The noun era meaning 'epoch' is borrowed from Late Latin aera, which originally referred to a number used to mark the beginning of a calendar.
- Because era can mean both 'he was' and 'era' (a period of time), Spanish writers often use the word to create puns that link a person's life to a specific historical epoch.
Examples in context
- Él era mi amigo.He was my friend.This sentence shows how to use era to identify a person's former social connection.Tatoeba #1503290 by marcelostockle, translation #1108025 by Scott
- Él era muy feliz.He was very happy.This sentence shows how to use era to describe a past state of being.Tatoeba #541300 by Shishir, translation #292094 by CK
- Él era muy pobre.He was very poor.This sentence shows how to use era to describe a past social status.Tatoeba #793318 by Shishir, translation #292549 by CK
- Él era muy inteligenteHe was very intelligent
- Él fue el mejor estudiante de la claseHe was the best student in the class
- Él era mi mejor amigoHe was my best friend
- 335 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are talking about a former neighbor.
- Alejandro¿Cómo era tu vecino?What was your neighbor like?
- MaríaÉl era un hombre muy amable.He was a very kind man.
- Alejandro¿Era también muy alto?Was he also very tall?
- MaríaSí, él era bastante alto.Yes, he was quite tall.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry era, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries era, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
