Was and Were

What you’ll learn

Use the past forms of be for past identities, feelings, and locations.

ប្រើទម្រង់អតីតកាលរបស់ be ដើម្បីនិយាយអំពីអត្តសញ្ញាណ អារម្មណ៍ និងទីកន្លែងពីមុន។

Meaning and use

Was and were are past forms of be. In ordinary past statements, use was with I, he, she, it, and singular noun phrases. Use were with you, we, they, and plural noun phrases. Add not for a negative, or move was/were before the subject for a question. Do not use did with be in these patterns. Common past expressions include yesterday, last night, and last year.

Was និង were ជាទម្រង់អតីតកាលរបស់ be។ ក្នុងប្រយោគប្រាប់ធម្មតា ប្រើ was ជាមួយ I, he, she, it និងនាមឯកវចនៈ។ ប្រើ were ជាមួយ you, we, they និងនាមពហុវចនៈ។ សំណួរប្រើ was ឬ were មកមុខប្រធាន ដោយមិនបន្ថែម did។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
I / he / she / it + was	I was tired. She was at home.
You / we / they + were	They were at school.
Negative	was not → wasn’t; were not → weren’t
Question and short answer	Were you busy? Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.

Examples

1. I was tired yesterday.

   ខ្ញុំអស់កម្លាំងកាលពីម្សិលមិញ។

2. She was at home last night.

   នាងនៅផ្ទះកាលពីយប់មិញ។

3. They were happy.

   ពួកគេសប្បាយចិត្តកាលពីពេលនោះ។

4. Were you at school yesterday?

   តើអ្នកនៅសាលារៀនកាលពីម្សិលមិញមែនទេ?

Everyday conversation

Maly: Were you at home last night?

Dara: No, I wasn’t.

Maly: Where were you?

Dara: I was at my aunt’s house.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
They was late.	They were late.	Use were with they in an ordinary past statement.
Did she was tired?	Was she tired?	Be makes this past question without did.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: I ___ at home yesterday.
2. Complete: We ___ ready.
3. Make a negative: She was busy.
4. Make a question: They were late.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. was

   Use was with I in an ordinary past statement.

2. were

   Use were with we.

3. She wasn’t busy. / She was not busy.

   Put not after was.

4. Were they late?

   Move were before the subject.

Quick recap

• Use was with I/he/she/it in ordinary past statements.
• Use were with you/we/they.
• Be uses was/were for past questions and negatives, without did.