bio sam: Was and Were

Was and Were

Level 3

Bio/bila + sam, si, je, smo, ste, su.

How It Works

Person	Masculine	Feminine
ja	bio sam	bila sam
ti	bio si	bila si
on, ona	bio je	bila je
mi	bili smo	bile smo
vi	bili ste	bile ste
oni, one	bili su	bile su

This is the past tense of biti. It also gives you the past of ima: Bilo je kafe (there was coffee). For the negative past of nema, use nije bilo and the genitive: Nije bilo kafe.

Weather and general statements use the neuter: Bilo je hladno.

The future bit ću is a separate pattern.

Examples (5)

Bio sam u Tuzli.
I was in Tuzla. (a man speaking)
Bio is masculine, and sam is the helper.
Bila je kod kuće.
She was at home.
Bila is feminine.
Jučer smo bili u Mostaru.
Yesterday we were in Mostar.
Bili is plural.
Ajla i Selma su bile na ispitu.
Ajla and Selma were at the exam.
Two women: bile.
Bilo je lijepo.
It was nice.
The neuter bilo goes with impersonal statements.

Common Mistakes

Leaving out the participle.
Jučer sam u Tuzli.
Jučer sam bio u Tuzli.
For was or were you need bio or bila.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

bio sam: Was and WereLevel 3Was and Were

Learn This First

Bio sam is the perfect of biti.

The Perfect Tense
It is a perfect-tense form.
Level 3

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

biti

Practice bio sam: Was and Were in Bubblegum

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