This is the 243rd most frequent Portuguese word.
estavam
"Estavam" means "they were" or "you (plural) were" in English.
In this sentence, 'estavam' serves as the third-person plural imperfect tense of the verb 'estar', indicating an ongoing action in the past.
Os alunos estavam estudando na biblioteca.
The students were studying in the library.
Here, 'estavam' is used as the auxiliary verb in the third-person plural imperfect, forming the past state of being tired.
Eles estavam cansados após a longa caminhada.
They were tired after the long walk.
In this example, 'estavam' indicates the imperfect past tense of 'estar', describing an ongoing mental state of hesitation.