How to Say "I Was" in Spanish

yo era

/ʝo eɾa/from spelling rules

In Spanish, 'I was' can be translated as yo era.

yo era is used to describe a continuous state, habit or characteristic in the past.

Which one should you use?

There are different ways to say 'I was' depending on the context. Use yo era to describe ongoing states or characteristics in the past.

In natural speech, the pronoun yo is often omitted because the verb ending era already indicates the first-person singular.

/ʝo eɾa/

Spanish has two different ways to say 'I was', and using era instead of estaba can change the meaning from 'I was located' to 'I was fundamentally that person'.
The word yo shares a common root with the Latin egō̆, which is the ancestor of the English word 'ego'.
While yo era describes a state, the word era can also mean 'an era' or a specific period of time in history. This happens because the verb and the noun share the same spelling.

Yo era tu amigo.
I was your friend.
This sentence shows how to use yo era to describe a relationship.
Tatoeba #2194797 by Shishir, translation #5757922 by CM
Yo era un extraño.
I was an outsider.
This sentence shows how to use yo era to describe a status.
Tatoeba #11999020 by emigonza, translation #261576 by CM
Yo era muy pequeño.
I was too small.
This sentence shows how to use yo era to describe a physical characteristic.
Tatoeba #4554591 by swyter, translation #4554552 by CK
En la reunión de ayer yo fui el orador principal.
In yesterday's meeting, I was the main speaker.
En el evento benéfico yo estuve presente.
I was present at the charity event.
Cuando era joven, yo era mucho más aventurero.
When I was young, I was much more adventurous.
El sábado pasado, yo estaba de vacaciones en la playa.
Last Saturday, I was on vacation at the beach.
Ayer yo estuve en el cine viendo una película.
Yesterday, I was at the cinema watching a movie.
Cuando llegaste, yo estaba en el jardín disfrutando del sol.
When you arrived, I was in the garden enjoying the sun.
83 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are reminiscing about their childhood at a cafe.

Sources

IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries era, yo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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