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was (Imperfect tense of 'to be', describing a past state, background information, or habitual past action)
used to be
Il était tard quand elle est arrivée.
It was late when she arrived.
Notes
GENERAL INFO
était is the imperfect tense conjugation of the verb "être" (to be) for singular subjects (il/elle/on) and the first person singular (je). It means "was" or "were", describing a past state, ongoing action, or habit.
USAGE
Use était for descriptions, habitual actions, or background events in the past.
Examples: "Il était grand." (He was tall.) "Quand j'étais jeune..." (When I was young...)
TRAPS
Do not confuse with "a été" (passé composé). était describes ongoing or habitual past states ("The weather was nice, generally"); "a été" describes a specific, completed event ("It was nice yesterday, specifically").