Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'era' to describe people, places, or states of being in the past that were ongoing or habitual.
- Use 'era' for physical descriptions: 'Ela era alta.' (She was tall.)
- Use 'era' for personality traits: 'Ele era muito engraçado.' (He was very funny.)
- Use 'era' for time/dates: 'Era uma vez...' (Once upon a time...)
Overview
ser の「半過去（Pretérito Imperfeito）」形、つまり era です。日本語には「過去形」という一つの大きなカテゴリーがありますが、ポルトガル語には過去を表す形式が複数存在し、それぞれ「完了した出来事」なのか「継続していた状態」なのかを厳密に使い分けます。日本語では「〜だった」という一言で済ませてしまう文脈でも、ポルトガル語ではその状態が「背景として続いていたのか」あるいは「一点で完了したのか」によって動詞の形を変える必要があります。era は、まさにその「背景」や「習慣」、「当時の状態」を描写するために使われます。例えば、「子供の頃、私は背が低かった」と言うとき、その状態は一瞬ではなく、ある程度の期間続いていたものです。この「継続性」や「背景描写」という概念は、日本語の「〜していた」「〜だった」という表現と非常に近いですが、ポルトガル語では動詞の活用そのものにそのニュアンスが組み込まれている点が最大の違いです。この era を使いこなせるようになると、単なる事実の羅列ではなく、まるで映画のワンシーンのように、当時の様子を鮮明に相手に伝えることができるようになります。これは、A2レベルの学習者が表現力を飛躍的に向上させるための重要な鍵となります。ser の半過去 era の役割を理解するために、日本語の「状態動詞」と比較してみましょう。日本語では「昔は学生でした」「あの頃は若かった」のように、述語に「でした」や「かった」を付けます。ポルトガル語の era は、まさにこの「〜だった（状態）」という過去の継続的な状態を指します。重要なのは、era が「点」ではなく「線」のイメージであることです。例えば、「昨日のパーティーは楽しかった」と言うとき、パーティー全体が楽しかったという「状態」を指すため、ポルトガル語では era を使います。一方、日本語の文法で言う「状態動詞」や「形容詞述語文」の過去形と非常に親和性が高いと言えます。era は、過去の物語における「背景」です。物語を語る際、era を使ってその場の雰囲気や登場人物の性格を説明し、その後に「点」の動作（foi など）を置くことで、物語に奥行きが生まれます。日本語の「〜していた」という進行中のニュアンスや、「〜だった」という性質の記述と照らし合わせると、非常に直感的に理解できるはずです。日本語の「昔はよく走ったものだ」という習慣的な過去も、era を用いた表現でカバーされます。このように、過去の「静的」な要素をすべて受け止めるのが era の役割なのです。ser は非常に不規則な動詞ですが、半過去の活用は比較的シンプルです。通常の -ar や -er 動詞とは異なる独自の語幹 er- を持ちます。以下の表で確認してみましょう。era | 私は〜だった |eras | 君は〜だった |era | 彼/彼女/あなたは〜だった |éramos | 私たちは〜だった |eram | 彼ら/彼女ら/あなた方は〜だった |Eu と Ele/Ela/Você の形が同じ era になります。これは日本語の「私は〜だった」「彼は〜だった」という主語による変化がない点と似ていますが、ポルトガル語では人称代名詞を補うことで明確にします。注意すべきは éramos です。ここにはアクセント記号があり、発音が エラモス と最初の音節に強勢が置かれます。このアクセントを忘れると、別の動詞と混同される可能性があるため、しっかり覚えましょう。era を使うべき場面は、日常会話のいたるところにあります。主な用途を整理します。- 1人や物の性質の描写: 「彼はとても優しい人だった」(
Ele era uma pessoa muito bondosa)。これはその人の変わらない性質を指します。 - 2過去の習慣: 「子供の頃、私は毎日公園で遊んでいた」(
Quando eu era criança, eu brincava no parque todos os dias)。eraは「子供だった」という状態の継続を表します。 - 3年齢や時刻: 「私が着いたとき、夜の9時だった」(
Eram nove da noite quando eu cheguei)。時刻や年齢を言うときは、常に半過去を使います。 - 4心理状態や感情: 「あの仕事は大変だった」(
Aquele trabalho era difícil)。その期間中、ずっと感じていた感情や状況を指します。
era に置き換えて考えてみてください。- 1
Foiとの混同: 日本語話者は「過去＝過去形」と考えがちで、すべての過去をfoi（点）で表現しようとします。しかし、eraは「背景」です。例えば、「昨日は暑かった」という状態はOntem estava quente(本来はestarですがserの文脈でも同様) であり、Ontem foi quenteと言うと「昨日は（一瞬だけ）暑かった」という不自然な響きになります。 - 2
EuとEleの省略による曖昧化: ポルトガル語は主語を省略できますが、eraはEuとEle/Ela/Vocêで形が同じです。文脈が不明確な場合、日本語の感覚で主語を省略しすぎると、誰の話か分からなくなります。最初は必ず主語を明示する癖をつけましょう。 - 3習慣の表現での時制の不一致: 「昔は〜だった」と言う際、日本語では習慣を表す動詞をそのまま過去形にします。ポルトガル語でも同様ですが、
sempre（いつも）などの副詞を入れ忘れると、単なる状態描写なのか習慣なのかが曖昧になります。Eu era sempre...と副詞を添えることで、日本語の「昔はいつも〜していた」というニュアンスが正確に伝わります。
ser の半過去と、他の過去形（点過去）を比較してみましょう。era (半過去) | 継続・習慣・背景描写 | 〜していた、〜だった（状態） |foi (点過去) | 完了した出来事・一過性の事象 | 〜した、〜だった（出来事） |era は「絵画の背景」を描き、foi はその背景の上で起こる「出来事」を描きます。例えば、「私が本を読んでいたとき(era)、電話が鳴った(foi)」。この違いを意識するだけで、ポルトガル語の過去表現は劇的に向上します。era は estar の過去形とどう違いますか？ser は本質的な性質（性格、職業、国籍など）を指し、estar は一時的な状態（場所、気分、天候など）を指します。era は「昔は学生だった」、estava は「昔は疲れていた」のように使い分けます。éramos のアクセントは絶対に必要ですか？éramos と書くことで、正しく最初の音節にアクセントを置くことができます。eram の発音は難しいですが、コツはありますか？Imperfect Tense of Ser
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
|
Eu
|
era
|
I was
|
|
Você/Ele/Ela
|
era
|
You/He/She was
|
|
Nós
|
éramos
|
We were
|
|
Vocês/Eles/Elas
|
eram
|
They were
|
Meanings
The imperfect tense of the verb 'ser' (to be) is used to describe past states, characteristics, or ongoing situations that do not have a defined end point.
Physical Description
Describing how someone or something looked in the past.
“O carro era vermelho.”
“Ela era muito bonita.”
Personality/Character
Describing traits that were true over a period of time.
“Ele era um aluno dedicado.”
“Eles eram pessoas gentis.”
Time and Age
Stating the time or age in a narrative context.
“Era meio-dia.”
“Era uma vez um rei.”
Reference Table
| 主語 | 動詞の形 (era) | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
|
Eu (私)
|
era
|
Eu era feliz.
|
|
Tu (君 - ポルトガル/南部)
|
eras
|
Tu eras rápido.
|
|
Você/Ele/Ela (あなた/彼/彼女)
|
era
|
Ela era médica.
|
|
Nós (私たち)
|
éramos
|
Nós éramos jovens.
|
|
Vocês/Eles/Elas (あなたたち/彼ら/彼女ら)
|
eram
|
Eles eram vizinhos.
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
O clima era favorável. (Talking about a past vacation.)
O tempo estava bom. (Talking about a past vacation.)
O tempo era bom. (Talking about a past vacation.)
O tempo tava massa. (Talking about a past vacation.)
レベル別の例文
Eu era criança.
I was a child.
O dia era lindo.
The day was beautiful.
Ela era alta.
She was tall.
O carro era azul.
The car was blue.
Nós éramos amigos.
We were friends.
Eles eram muito simpáticos.
They were very nice.
A casa não era grande.
The house wasn't big.
Era uma vez um gato.
Once upon a time there was a cat.
O ambiente de trabalho era estressante.
The work environment was stressful.
Antigamente, a vida era mais simples.
In the past, life was simpler.
Vocês eram os melhores alunos.
You all were the best students.
A cidade era muito movimentada.
The city was very busy.
Embora o projeto fosse difícil, a equipe era dedicada.
Although the project was difficult, the team was dedicated.
O clima era tenso durante as reuniões.
The atmosphere was tense during the meetings.
Ele era conhecido por sua generosidade.
He was known for his generosity.
A situação era insustentável.
The situation was unsustainable.
O que era antes uma floresta, agora é um deserto.
What was once a forest is now a desert.
A intenção era boa, mas o resultado foi desastroso.
The intention was good, but the result was disastrous.
Era de se esperar que ele não viesse.
It was to be expected that he wouldn't come.
A política era um tema proibido na família.
Politics was a forbidden topic in the family.
Era como se o tempo tivesse parado.
It was as if time had stopped.
A época era marcada por grandes incertezas.
The era was marked by great uncertainties.
Era inegável que a mudança era necessária.
It was undeniable that the change was necessary.
A casa era, por assim dizer, um museu.
The house was, so to speak, a museum.
間違えやすい
Both translate to 'was'.
Both are past tense of 'to be'.
Both are plural.
よくある間違い
Eu fui alto.
Eu era alto.
Nós era amigos.
Nós éramos amigos.
Ele era feliz ontem.
Ele estava feliz ontem.
Era um dia.
Foi um dia.
Eles era altos.
Eles eram altos.
Eu era no parque.
Eu estava no parque.
Era muito cansado.
Estava muito cansado.
A festa era ontem.
A festa foi ontem.
Eu era de acordo.
Eu estava de acordo.
Eles éramos felizes.
Eles eram felizes.
Era uma decisão que ele tomou.
Foi uma decisão que ele tomou.
A situação era resolvida.
A situação foi resolvida.
Era o que ele disse.
Foi o que ele disse.
文型パターン
Quando eu era ___, eu era ___.
O/A ___ era muito ___.
Antigamente, as pessoas eram mais ___.
Era ___ que ele queria.
Real World Usage
Eu era tão jovem nessa foto!
A festa era top.
O ambiente era desafiador.
O hotel era muito antigo.
A comida era sempre quente.
Era uma vez um dragão.
「昔は〜だった」のニュアンス
era を使います。 Eu era viciado nessa série.
アクセントに注意！
nós éramos には必ずアクセント記号がつきます。これがないと発音が変わってしまうので注意しましょう。ブラジルでは 'Você'
você era の方が圧倒的に使われます。Smart Tips
Use 'era' for the background, 'foi' for the action.
Everything in your childhood memory is 'era'.
Use 'era' for personality traits.
Always use 'era' for time in the past.
発音
Era
The 'e' is open (ɛ) in Brazilian Portuguese.
Éramos
The accent on the first 'e' makes it open (ɛ).
Question
Era você? ↗
Rising intonation at the end.
暗記しよう
記憶術
ERA: Every Repeated Action (or state).
視覚的連想
Imagine a black and white photo of yourself. Everything in that photo is 'era'.
Rhyme
When the past is a state and not a done deed, use 'era' to fulfill your need.
Story
Once upon a time (Era uma vez), there was a king. He was (era) very wise. His castle was (era) huge. Everyone was (era) happy.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Write 5 sentences describing your favorite childhood toy using 'era'.
文化メモ
In informal speech, 'estava' is often shortened to 'tava', but 'era' remains 'era'.
The pronunciation of 'era' is slightly more closed (e) compared to Brazil.
Using 'era' for storytelling is a universal Portuguese trait.
Comes from the Latin 'eram', the imperfect of 'esse'.
会話のきっかけ
Como você era quando criança?
Como era a sua escola?
Como era o seu primeiro emprego?
Como era a vida antes da internet?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
Score: /3
練習問題
8 exercisesEu ___ muito feliz.
Nós ___ amigos.
Find and fix the mistake:
Eles era altos.
Ele era rico.
Nós
Ser (Imperfect)
casa / enorme / era / A
Era is used for completed events.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesEles ___ vizinhos por muitos anos.
She was my teacher.
___ 3 da tarde.
Eu eras muito tímido.
Match the pairs
era / O / difícil / jogo / muito
Antigamente, você ___ mais paciente.
My phone was cheap.
Nos eramos felizes.
It was one o'clock.
Vocês ___ amigos de infância?
Score: /11
よくある質問 (8)
No, use 'estava' for locations.
No, it is for things and places too.
To mark the stress on the first syllable.
For single, completed events.
It is neutral and used everywhere.
No, it is strictly past tense.
It is a spelling error but people will understand.
Use rising intonation.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
era
None.
étais
French requires subject pronouns.
war
No distinction between perfect/imperfect in this context.
datta
No conjugation for person.
kuntu
Conjugated for gender and person.
shi
No verb conjugation.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
関連動画
Related Grammar Rules
「知った」の瞬間：点過去のSaber (soube)
### Overview ポルトガル語を学んでいる皆さん、こんにちは！今日は、日常会話で非常に頻繁に使われる重要な動詞 `saber`（知っ...
ポルトガル語の過去形：持ってきた (trouxe)
Overview ポルトガル語の文字「X」はまさにワイルドカードです。時に「sh」、時に「z」のように響きます。しかし、動詞`trazer`...
'Vir' (来る) の過去形：来た、見た...待って、来た。
概要 「パーティーに来た」と言うつもりが、うっかり「パーティーを見た」と言ってしまったことはありませんか？これは思った以...
不完了過去の動詞 'ter'：過去について話す (tinha)
### Overview ポルトガル語学習において、動詞 `ter`（持っている）は最も頻繁に使われる非常に重要な動詞です。特に、過去の出...
過去の前の過去 (Pretérito Mais-que-perfeito)
### Overview ポルトガル語の「Pretérito Mais-que-perfeito（大過去）」は、B2レベルの学習者にとって、物語の時系列を整理し...
