erat
In Latin, "was" is translated as erat.
erat is used to describe a state or identity in the past. It is the third-person singular imperfect indicative form of the verb esse (to be).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form erat is specifically for the third-person singular (he, she or it). To say "I was," use the first-person singular form eram. To say "they were," use the plural form erant.
Did you know?
- In legal Latin, erat was frequently used in the phrase quod erat demonstrandum, meaning 'which was to be demonstrated'. This phrase is still used globally in mathematics to signal the end of a proof.
- The word erat describes a continuous state in the past, whereas the word fuit describes a completed action. Using erat is like saying 'he was being' or 'he used to be' rather than just 'he was'.
- In Latin poetry, erat is often omitted entirely because the context makes the state of being obvious. This 'ellipsis' allows poets to maintain a strict rhythmic meter without needing to explicitly say 'was'.
Examples in context
- Quis in raeda erat?Who was in the car?This sentence shows how to ask who was in a vehicle using erat.Tatoeba #2811898 by alexmarcelo, translation #2647773 by CK
- Hoc erat mea culpa.This was my fault.This sentence demonstrates using erat to assign fault.Tatoeba #6166825 by CarpeLanam, translation #2648410 by CK
- Quid in furno erat?What was in the oven?This sentence illustrates asking what was in an oven using erat.Tatoeba #8520551 by alexmarcelo, translation #2646748 by CK
- Caesar erat in Gallia.Caesar was in Gaul.
- 395 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Aurelia and Lucius are discussing a lost item in a house.
- AureliaUbi est annulus meus?Where is my ring?
- LuciusNon scio, sed hic erat.I don't know, but it was here.
- AureliaEstne sub mensa?Is it under the table?
- LuciusNon est, sed erat ibi.It is not, but it was there.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
