だった
datta
The English phrase "it was" can be expressed in Japanese as だった (datta).
だった is used to describe a state or identity in the past.
Which one should you use?
だった is used for the past tense of the copula (the verb 'to be'), whereas でした is the polite version of the same expression. If you are referring specifically to the existence or presence of something in the past, you would use ありました instead of だった.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
だった is an informal way to say "it was", suitable for casual speech with friends or for writing in a diary. In polite speech, such as when talking to strangers or superiors, you should use でした. When referring to the existence of something in the past, the formal version is ありました and the colloquial version is あったんだ.
How does it change in a sentence?
だった is the plain, informal past tense of the copula used with nouns and na-adjectives.
How do you pronounce it?
datta
Did you know?
- While だった translates to 'it was', using it in a sentence with a person's name can sometimes sound like you are talking about a dead person or a character in a book, depending on the context.
- The word だった is actually a contraction of であった, an older, more formal way of expressing the past tense. While it sounds casual now, its roots are deeply embedded in classical Japanese grammar.
- If you want to say 'it was' to emphasize a discovery or a sudden realization, you might add the particle んだ to make it だったんだ. This adds a nuance of explanation or emotional weight that 'it was' lacks in English.
Examples in context
- 闇夜だった。It was a dark night.This sentence is useful for describing a night.Tatoeba #191229 by small_snow, translation #28390 by CK
- 簡単だった。It was easy.This sentence is useful for describing an experience.Tatoeba #3507431 by arnab, translation #2248821 by CK
- 地獄だった。It was hell.This sentence is useful for describing a situation.Tatoeba #8533869 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #8533242 by Amastan
- Oishikatta. (美味しかった)It was delicious.
- Yuushoku ni wa sushi ga attanda. (夕食には寿司があったんだ)We had sushi for dinner.
- Kinou no eiga wa omoshirokatta. (昨日の映画は面白かった)Yesterday's movie was interesting.
- Ano tokoro ni wa takusan no hito ga ita. (あのところにはたくさんの人がいた)Many people were there.
- 338 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Yui are talking about a movie they saw.
- 大翔 Hirotoあの映画はどうだった？Ano eiga wa dou datta?How was that movie?
- 結衣 Yui本当に最高だったよ！Hontou ni saikou datta yo!It was truly great!
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣は泣いた？Yui wa naita?Did you cry, Yui?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、最後はとても悲しかった。Un, saigo wa totemo kanashikatta.Yes, the end was very sad.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
