You’re trying to tell a story. Maybe you’re describing a party from last weekend or explaining that the movie you watched last night was actually pretty decent. You get to the part where you need to say "it was," and suddenly, your brain hits a brick wall.
Spanish doesn't make it easy.
In English, we have "was." It’s simple. It’s reliable. But in Spanish, you have to choose between era and fue. If you pick the wrong one, you might still be understood, but you’ll sound like a glitchy textbook. Understanding how to say it was in Spanish isn't just about memorizing a conjugation table; it's about understanding how Spanish speakers perceive time and completion.
The Great Divide: Preterite vs. Imperfect
The struggle stems from the fact that Spanish has two distinct past tenses. We’re talking about the Preterite (fue) and the Imperfect (era).
Think of the Preterite like a snapshot. It’s a finished action. A dot on a timeline. If you say fue, you’re basically putting a cap on the event. It started, it happened, it ended. Done.
Now, think of the Imperfect like a video. It’s a background setting. It’s ongoing. If you say era, you’re describing what something was like over an unspecified period, or you're setting the stage for something else to happen. Honestly, this is where most people trip up because "was" covers both of these sensations in English without breaking a sweat.
When Fue is the Right Move
You use fue when the "was" has a clear beginning and end.
If you say, "The concert was three hours long," you’d use El concierto fue de tres horas. Why? Because the concert finished. It has boundaries. You are viewing the event as a completed package.
- Events: La fiesta fue ayer. (The party was yesterday.)
- Reactions: Fue un error. (It was a mistake.)
- Defined Durations: Fue un verano largo. (It was a long summer—viewed as a completed block of time.)
Specific dates or times almost always trigger fue. If you can point to a calendar and say "it happened then and ended then," fue is your best friend.
When Era Takes the Lead
Era is for descriptions. It’s for "the way things used to be."
If you’re talking about your childhood home, you’d say Mi casa era grande. You aren't focusing on the moment the house ceased to be big; you're just describing the state of things back then. You’re painting a picture.
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Common uses for era include:
- Telling time: Eran las cinco. (It was five o'clock.)
- Age: Era joven. (I/he/she was young.)
- Characteristics: El perro era negro. (The dog was black.)
- Background info: Era un día soleado... (It was a sunny day...)
Why Context Changes Everything
Here is where it gets spicy. Sometimes, both can be grammatically "correct," but they change the meaning of your sentence entirely. This is the nuance that separates a learner from a fluent speaker.
Imagine you're talking about a movie.
If you say La película era buena, you’re saying "The movie was good" in a descriptive sense, maybe implying you liked it while you were watching it, or setting the scene before you mention that the power went out in the theater.
But if you say La película fue buena, you’re giving a final verdict. You saw the whole thing, the credits rolled, and your summary of the entire experience is that it was good.
It’s a subtle shift. Era feels like you're still "in" the memory. Fue feels like you're looking back at it from a distance.
The Ser vs. Estar Problem (The Secret Third Option)
Wait. We’ve been talking about fue and era, which both come from the verb Ser. But as anyone who has spent five minutes in a Spanish classroom knows, there’s another "to be": Estar.
So, when you want to say "it was," you might actually need estuvo or estaba.
I know. It's a lot.
Basically, use fue/era for what something was (identity, nature, characteristics). Use estuvo/estaba for how or where something was (location, temporary states, feelings).
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- Fue divertido. (It was fun—an inherent quality of the event.)
- Estuvo divertido. (It was fun—referring to the experience or "how it went.")
- Estaba cansado. (I was tired—a temporary state.)
- Era profesor. (He was a teacher—a profession/identity.)
If you’re describing a location, you must use estar. "It was in Madrid" is Estaba en Madrid. Using era there would sound bizarre to a native ear, almost like you’re saying the city’s identity was literally the concept of Madrid, rather than its location.
Common Mistakes to Dodge
Most people over-rely on era. It feels safer. It sounds more like "was" in a soft, descriptive way. But if you're talking about a specific event that happened once, like a wedding or a crash, and you use era, it sounds like the event never ended.
Actually, using era for a sudden event can make you sound like you're starting a fairy tale.
Another big one: The weather.
Usually, we use the verb hacer for weather. "It was cold" isn't Era frío. It's Hacía frío. Using "it was" literally in Spanish for weather is a classic Gringo-ism. You want to describe the "making" of the weather.
- Hacía calor. (It was hot.)
- Hizo sol. (It was sunny—specifically for a certain time.)
The "Interruption" Rule
One of the easiest ways to remember when to use era is the "interruption" trick.
If you are describing a state of being when something else suddenly happened, that background state is era.
"It was a quiet night when suddenly..." -> Era una noche tranquila cuando de repente...
The background (era) is the "video" playing. The interruption (usually a preterite verb like escuché or entró) is the "snapshot" that breaks the flow.
Nuance in the Wild: Real World Examples
Let's look at how this actually sounds in conversation. I asked a friend from Mexico City how she’d describe her favorite vacation.
She said: "El viaje fue increíble, pero el hotel era un desastre."
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Look at that. She used both.
- El viaje fue increíble: She’s summarizing the whole trip as a finished event.
- El hotel era un desastre: She’s describing the ongoing condition of the hotel during the time she stayed there.
If she had said el hotel fue un desastre, it would imply that the hotel was a disaster at one specific, finished moment, or perhaps she's viewing the entire stay as a single, completed point of failure. By using era, she’s letting you feel the vibe of the moldy carpets and the broken AC that lasted the whole week.
Actionable Steps for Mastering "It Was"
You aren't going to get this perfect tonight. Language is a muscle. But you can stop making the most glaring errors by following a few simple rules of thumb.
Audit Your Sentences
Next time you want to say "it was," ask yourself: Is this a verdict or a description?
- Verdict/Boundary: Use Fue. (The meal was great. The meeting was short.)
- Description/Setting: Use Era. (She was tall. It was 4 PM. The house was old.)
Learn the Triggers
Words like ayer (yesterday), anoche (last night), and el año pasado (last year) often point toward fue because they define the time frame.
Words like siempre (always), frecuentemente (frequently), and mientras (while) often point toward era because they imply a lack of a clear end point.
Listen for the "Feel"
Start watching Spanish media—even just TikToks or YouTube shorts. Don't worry about every word. Just listen for when they say fue versus era. You’ll start to notice that fue sounds "harder" and more final, while era sounds "softer" and more expansive.
Practice the "Estar" Exception
Check if you're talking about a location or a mood. If you are, throw era/fue out the window and use estaba/estuvo.
"It was open" -> Estaba abierto.
"It was closed" -> Estaba cerrado.
The best way to get this down is to speak. Seriously. Make mistakes. Say era when you should have said fue. A native speaker will still know what you mean, and they might even correct you, which is the fastest way to make the rule stick in your brain.
Start by writing down three things that happened yesterday (using fue) and three things you remember about your first school (using era). This simple contrast helps rewire how you categorize the past. Spanish is less about the "when" and more about the "how" you see the action. Once you get that, "it was" becomes second nature.