Was, Have Been: fui

Level 3

Was or has been, for a time that is over.

How It Works

PersonLatinEnglish
IfuiI was, I have been
youfuistiyou were
he, shefuithe was
wefuimuswe were
you allfuistisyou all were
theyfueruntthey were

Fui has two vowels that are said separately, FOO-ee, in both journeys.

Compare erat and fuit. Erat describes how things were: Roma magna erat. Fuit tells that something was and is over: Marcus in Graecia fuit says he has been to Greece.

So Marcus in Graecia erat describes where Marcus was at one moment of a story, while Marcus in Graecia fuit counts the stay as one finished fact.

Examples (5)

  1. Marcus in Graecia fuit.

    Marcus was in Greece.

    Fuit is the perfect of sum. It can also mean Marcus has been in Greece.

  2. Heri in villa fui.

    Yesterday I was in the house.

    Fui is the first person perfect.

  3. Tu laetus fuisti.

    You were happy.

    Fuisti ends in -isti, and laetus matches tu.

  4. Fuimus in Italia.

    We have been in Italy.

    Fuimus ends in -imus, the we ending.

  5. Maria in Bethlehem fuit.

    Mary was in Bethlehem.

    Fuit tells where she was. Bethlehem is a Hebrew name and does not change.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a singular verb with a plural subject.

    Pueri in Graecia fuit.
    Pueri in Graecia fuerunt.

    Pueri is plural, so the perfect ends in -erunt: fuerunt.

  • Using the present for a finished visit.

    Heri in villa sum.
    Heri in villa fui.

    Heri points to the past, so the verb needs the perfect: fui.

How It Connects

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

Was, Have Been: fuiLevel 3

Learn This First

Fui is the perfect of to be, so the perfect and sum come first.

Words in This Pattern

sum