etait

Etait is the third-person singular imperfect indicative form of the French verb être, meaning "was" or "used to be." It is used to describe past states, conditions, or habitual actions and is a key part of the imperfect tense (imparfait) in French grammar. The imperfect is employed to set scenes, describe ongoing past actions, or indicate background information.

Etymology and form: Etait derives from the verb être, whose historical forms trace back to Latin esse. The imperfect ending -ait is a regular Old French ending for the third-person singular in the imperfect, and it combined with the stem ét- yields etait in modern French orthography. The proper spelling includes the acute accent on the first e.

Usage notes: Etait appears with subjects in the singular: il était, elle était. It appears in statements such as “Il était tard” (It was late) or “Elle était contente” (She was happy). It is also used to form questions and negations in the imperfect: “Était-il là?” (Was he there?) and “Il n’était pas là” (He was not there). In French, the imparfait is typically used for descriptions, habitual past actions, or states of being rather than specific completed past actions, which are usually expressed with the passé composé.

See also: être, imparfait, French grammar, verb conjugation. Note that the accented form etait is standard in French; the unaccented etait is considered incorrect in formal writing.