erant

Erant is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Latin verb esse, meaning “to be.” It expresses a past, ongoing state or condition, commonly translated as “they were” or, in contexts of existence, “there were.” The verb esse is irregular, and its imperfect forms derive from the archaic stem er-, giving eram, eras, erat, eramus, eratis, erant. As a result, erant is the standard past-tense form for “they were” in narrative and descriptive passages.

In usage, erant indicates background or continuing circumstances in past time. It appears in many Latin texts to describe states, qualities, or conditions that persisted over a period. It can also introduce clauses that specify the existence of things or people in a location or situation. For example: In urbe erant multi cives (There were many citizens in the city). Tempestas gravis erat; in litore erant fluctūs magnī (The storm was severe; there were large waves on the shore).

Erant contrasts with sunt (present) and erunt (future), and with fuerant (pluperfect). Like other forms of esse, erant is a fundamental building block in Latin grammar, essential for expressing states of being across historical writing, narrative, and description. See also forms of esse (sum, es, est), and Latin verb conjugation patterns.