Eravamo

Eravamo is the first-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb essere, meaning “we were.” It is used to describe past states or conditions that were ongoing or habitual in the past, rather than completed actions.

Etymology and formation: The form derives from the Latin imperfect of esse, erāmus, and evolved through regular Italian phonological changes into eravamo. Like other forms of essere in the imperfect (ero, eri, era, eravamo, eravate, erano), eravamo is irregular in its stem but follows the standard imperfect endings for the plural first person.

Usage: In Italian, the imperfect tense expresses ongoing states, customary actions, or background information in narrative. Eravamo can set a scene, describe conditions, or link past events to a later action. It contrasts with the passato prossimo, which typically marks actions viewed as complete or punctual. In writing or speech, eravamo is often used with quando to indicate time frames or with descriptors such as sentiment, appearance, or circumstance.

Examples:

- Eravamo stanchi dopo il lungo viaggio. (We were tired after the long journey.)

- Quando eravamo bambini, giocavamo nel parco ogni pomeriggio. (When we were children, we played in the park every afternoon.)

See also: Imperfetto (imperfect) in Italian grammar; other forms of essere in the imperfect: ero, eri, era, eravamo, eravate, erano. Eravamo is commonly encountered in spoken Italian and in literary narration to convey past states and ongoing contexts.