How to Say "That Was" in Spanish

eso fue

/eso fwe/from spelling rules

The English phrase "that was" can be translated into Spanish as eso fue.

eso fue is used to refer to a single, completed action or event in the past.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of the demonstrative pronoun eso (that) and the third-person singular preterite form of the verb ser (to be).

The word fue is the exact same form used for the past tense of 'to go', so eso fue can, in certain very specific contexts, be read as 'that went'.
The word eso is a neuter pronoun, a gender category that does not exist for nouns in Spanish. It is used specifically to refer to abstract ideas or situations rather than physical objects.
The word eso descends from the Latin word ipsum, which was the neuter form of ipse, meaning 'himself' or 'itself'.

Eso fue un error.
That was a mistake.
Tatoeba #3055993 by teskmon, translation #2548644 by CK
Eso fue muy rudo.
That was very harsh.
Tatoeba #5886298 by albrusgher, translation #3724218 by CM
¡Eso fue muy fácil!
That was very easy.
Tatoeba #1562808 by hayastan, translation #3393287 by CK
El discurso del presidente fue muy inspirador. Eso fue lo que necesitaba el país.
The president's speech was very inspiring. That was what the country needed.
Tu presentación fue excelente. Eso fue muy convincente.
Your presentation was excellent. That was very convincing.
La batalla librada en aquellos tiempos fue épica. Aquello fue una hazaña inolvidable.
The battle fought in those times was epic. That was an unforgettable feat.
¡Vaya concierto! Eso estuvo increíble.
What a concert! That was incredible.
Fuimos al restaurante nuevo y probamos sus platillos. Eso estuvo delicioso.
We went to the new restaurant and tried their dishes. That was delicious.
78 more sentences on Tatoeba

Sofía and Daniel are talking about a movie they just watched.

Sources

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

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