éramos
EH-rah-mohs
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Cuando éramos niños, vivíamos en la playa.
A2When we were children, we lived on the beach.
Antes éramos muy buenos amigos, pero ahora no.
B1We used to be very good friends, but not anymore.
Éramos felices en aquel entonces.
A2We were happy back then.
¿Quiénes éramos nosotros para juzgar?
B2Who were we to judge?
💡 Grammar Points
Past Habitual Actions
Use 'éramos' to talk about conditions or characteristics that were true for 'us' repeatedly or continuously in the past, like habits or descriptions.
The 'We' Form
'Éramos' is only used when the subject is 'nosotros' (we) or when you are describing a state that applied to the speaker and at least one other person.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Past Tenses
Mistake: "Using 'fuimos' (the past action form) instead of 'éramos' when describing how things *were*."
Correction: Use 'Éramos altos' (We were tall) for description, not 'Fuimos altos' (We became tall/We were tall briefly).
⭐ Usage Tips
Memory Tip
Think of 'éramos' (Imperfect) as describing the 'setting' or 'background' of a story, while 'fuimos' (Preterite) describes the specific 'events' that happened.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: éramos
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'éramos'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'éramos' and 'fuimos'?
'Éramos' describes what we *were* like (our identity, description, or continuous state) in the past. 'Fuimos' describes a completed action or event that happened to us (e.g., 'We went,' or 'We became').
Does 'éramos' always mean 'we were'?
Yes, 'éramos' specifically refers to the subject 'nosotros' (we). It is the past descriptive form of the verb 'ser' (to be).