He was, she was, it was in French 🇫🇷

Il était une fois

English Once upon a time. Idiom.

9 months ago

il était info.

**Tips to remember “il était”:**

– Link “il était” to the English phrase “he was,” noting that “il” sounds like “he’ll” but means “he.” Remember that “était” is the past tense of “être” (to be), and sounds like the English word “ate,” as in the past.

– Think of “il était une fois,” which is the French equivalent of “once upon a time.” This fairy tale beginning can help embed “il était” in your memory due to its frequent occurrence in stories.

**Explanations:**

– “Il était” is the imperfect tense of the verb “être” (to be) and is used to describe past habitual actions or states of being, as well as set the scene in the past.

**Other words that mean the same thing:**

– “Il fut”: This is another past form of “être,” but it’s the simple past. It’s not commonly used in spoken language, mostly found in literature or formal writing.

**Alternate meanings like slang:**

– “Il était” does not have a direct slang meaning because it is a straightforward conjugation of the verb “être.” Slang would more likely modify the subject or the context rather than the verb itself.

**Examples of sentences that use it:**

– “Il était médecin avant de devenir écrivain.” (He was a doctor before becoming a writer.)
– “Il était une fois, dans un royaume lointain…” (Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom…)
– “Il était tard quand il est arrivé à la maison.” (It was late when he arrived home.)
– “Il était connu pour sa générosité.” (He was known for his generosity.)
– “Il était en train de lire quand le téléphone a sonné.” (He was reading when the phone rang.)

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