era
“era” means “was” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
was, used to be
Also: were
📝 In Action
Cuando yo era niño, vivía en Madrid.
A1When I was a child, I lived in Madrid.
La película era muy larga y aburrida.
A1The movie was very long and boring.
Eran las tres de la tarde cuando llegamos.
A2It was three in the afternoon when we arrived.
era, age
Also: epoch
📝 In Action
Estamos viviendo en la era digital.
B2We are living in the digital era.
La era de los dinosaurios terminó hace millones de años.
B2The age of the dinosaurs ended millions of years ago.
Ese descubrimiento marcó el comienzo de una nueva era.
C1That discovery marked the beginning of a new era.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
🔀 Commonly Confused With
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: era
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly uses 'era' to mean 'was'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From Latin 'aera', originally meaning 'counters for calculation' or 'items of an account', which eventually came to mean a specific point in time or an era.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'era' and 'fue'?
'Era' is for descriptions, habits, or setting the scene (e.g., 'He was tall'). 'Fue' is for specific events that happened and finished (e.g., 'The party was fun yesterday').
Is 'era' always 'was'?
Mostly, yes! It can also be 'used to be' or even 'were' when talking about you (usted) or them (ellos) if you add an 's' or 'n' at the end.
Can 'era' mean something other than 'was'?
Yes! As a noun, it means a long period of time, like the 'Ice Age' (La era glaciar).