How to Say "I Used to Be" in French

j'étais

The English phrase "I used to be" is translated into French as j'étais.

This phrase is used to describe a state or quality that someone had in the past but no longer has.

How does it change in a sentence?

j'étais is the first-person singular imperfect indicative form of the verb être (to be), which translates to "I was".

When using j'étais to describe a past profession, French speakers often omit the article 'a' or 'an'. While an English speaker says 'I used to be a teacher', a French speaker simply says j'étais professeur.
In French, describing a past habit like 'I used to be a smoker' often bypasses the verb 'to be' entirely, using je fumais (I smoked) or other verbs instead.
The imperfect tense used in j'étais is actually called 'imparfait', which literally translates to 'imperfect' in English, though it does not mean the action was flawed.

J'étais gros comme toi.
I used to be fat like you.
This sentence shows how to use j'étais to describe a physical state.
Tatoeba #2584812 by sacredceltic, translation #2544975 by CK
J'étais tout le temps fatigué.
I used to be tired all the time.
This sentence demonstrates using j'étais to describe a recurring feeling.
Tatoeba #10970886 by lbdx, translation #5189277 by CK
Je ne suis plus ce que j'étais.
I'm not what I used to be.
This sentence uses j'étais to express that a person has changed from their past self.
Tatoeba #126639 by TRANG, translation #259009 by CK
J'étais auparavant un avocat
I used to be a lawyer
J'étais autrefois en très bonne forme
I used to be in great shape
Avant, j'étais un cuisinier passionné
Before, I was a passionate chef
J'étais auparavant ingénieur en informatique.
I used to be a computer engineer before.
28 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two old friends are reminiscing about their childhood in a cafe.

Chloé

J'étais très timide quand j'étais petite.
I used to be very shy when I was little.
Gabriel

C'est vrai ? Tu es très extravertie maintenant.
Is that true? You are very extroverted now.
Chloé

Oui, mais j'étais aussi très sportive.
Yes, but I used to be very athletic too.
Gabriel

Je m'en souviens, tu étais toujours dehors.
I remember, you used to be outside all the time.

Sources

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