This is the 6129th most frequent French word.
etaient
"Étaient" means "were" in English.
The word 'étaient' is the past imperfect tense of the verb 'être' (to be) and is used here to describe a state of happiness in the past.
Ils étaient heureux de célébrer ensemble.
They were happy to celebrate together.
In this sentence, 'étaient' forms part of the pluperfect tense when combined with the past participle 'partis', indicating an action completed in the past before another past event.
Les enfants étaient partis avant mon arrivée.
The children had left before my arrival.
Here, 'étaient' is used to express a recurring or habitual action in the past where 'being' is the focus.