Meaning
でした and だった are the past forms of the copula after nouns and na-adjectives.
Formation
- Noun or na-adjective stem + でした: 学生でした, 静かでした.
- Use だった in plain style: 学生だった, 静かだった.
When to use it
- A fact in the past
- Names a former job, role, date, event, or category.
- A state in the past
- Describes a past quality with a na-adjective: 静かでした.
Examples
18 sentences-
あの店はとても静かでした
That shop was very quiet.
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昨日は雨でした
It was rainy yesterday.
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先週はテストでした
There was a test last week.
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子どものとき父は先生だった
When I was a child, my father was a teacher.
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昨日は休みだった
Yesterday was a day off.
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あの町はにぎやかだった
That town was lively.
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日曜日も雨でした
It was rainy on Sunday too.
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子供の時、この町は静かでした
When I was a child, this town was quiet.
10 more examples
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あの人は料理人でした
That person was a cook.
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私の妹は大学生でした
My younger sister was a university student.
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こちらは出口でした
This was the exit.
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この建物は美術館でした
This building was an art museum.
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その箱の中身はお菓子でした
The content of that box was sweets.
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私の担当は受付でした
My assignment was reception duty.
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あちらの女性は看護師でした
That woman over there was a nurse.
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今日の昼ご飯はカレーでした
Today's lunch was curry.
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兄の専門は歴史でした
My older brother's specialty was history.
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次の授業は音楽でした
The next class was music.
Important notes
- I-adjectives have their own past form in かった: 高かった, not 高いでした.
- Verbs form the polite past with ました and the plain past with た.
Common mistakes
- Do not mix styles: 学生だったです is incorrect.
- Do not use でした as a universal past ending after a verb.
Check yourself
Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.
Similar grammar
Hear it in podcasts
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