éramos
/eɾamos/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "we were" can be translated as éramos.
éramos is used to describe ongoing actions, states of being or habitual actions in the past. It is the way to describe a continuous state or characteristic that existed in the past.
Which one should you use?
The choice of "we were" depends on the context of the past. Use éramos to describe a continuous state or characteristic. In contrast, use fuimos (the preterite) for completed actions or events that happened at a specific point in time. Use estuvimos when you want to indicate a temporary state or a specific location.
How does it change in a sentence?
éramos is the first-person plural imperfect indicative of the verb ser.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɾamos/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish contexts, éramos can be used to describe a group's size, such as éramos cinco, meaning 'there were five of us'.
- In Spanish literature, writers use éramos to create a 'background' in the reader's mind, acting like a cinematic fade-in that describes the setting before any actual events occur.
- In many Spanish dialects, the 's' at the end of éramos is pronounced very softly or can sound almost like a breath, depending on the region.
Examples in context
- Los dos éramos felices.We were both happy.This sentence shows how to use éramos to describe a state of being.Tatoeba #5567112 by Shishir, translation #2548503 by CK
- Éramos niños sin postre.We were kids without dessert.This sentence shows how to use éramos to describe a state in the past.Tatoeba #10568390 by ecorralest101, translation #10568412 by espamatics
- Éramos muy buenos amigos.We were really tight.This sentence shows how to use éramos to describe a characteristic or relationship.Tatoeba #10008970 by swyter, translation #2547489 by CK
- Fuimos al concierto anoche.We were at the concert last night.
- Éramos buenos amigos durante nuestra infancia.We were good friends during our childhood.
- Estuvimos en el cine toda la tarde.We were at the movies all afternoon.
- Éramos muy felices cuando vivíamos en esa casa.We were very happy when we lived in that house.
- 49 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are reminiscing about their old neighborhood.
- MateoÉramos vecinos en ese barrio.We were neighbors in that neighborhood.
- ElenaSí, y también éramos muy unidos.Yes, and we were also very close.
- MateoEra un tiempo muy bonito.It was a very beautiful time.
- ElenaCierto, éramos muy felices allí.True, we were very happy there.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
