Were

释义 Definition

were 是动词 be 的过去式复数形式，用于 you / we / they 以及单数虚拟语气（如 If I were...）。表示“是；在；存在（过去时）”。（be 还有其他用法与形式。）

发音 Pronunciation (IPA)

/wɜːr/（美式常见）; /wɪə/（英式常见）

例句 Examples

They were at home last night.
他们昨晚在家。

If I were you, I would apologize immediately, even though it feels uncomfortable.
如果我是你，我会立刻道歉，即使这会让人觉得不舒服。

词源 Etymology

were 来自古英语 wǣron，是 be 动词体系中的古老过去时形式之一。英语里的 be 属于不规则动词，历史上不同来源的形式逐渐合并，形成今天复杂的变位（如 am/is/are 与 was/were）。

相关词 Related Words

• Be
• Was
• Are
• Been
• Being
• Werewolf

文学作品 Literary Works

• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland（Lewis Carroll）：“We were all at the bottom of the pool...”
• Pride and Prejudice（Jane Austen）中大量出现过去时叙述，如 “They were ...”
• A Tale of Two Cities（Charles Dickens）中常见过去时描写，如 “There were ...”