This is the 6539th most frequent Portuguese word.
eram
"Were" – the past tense of "to be," plural.
'Eram' indicates past tense of 'ser' describing sustained state.
Eles eram amigos desde a infância.
They were friends since childhood.
'Eram' refers to past continuous state of being for the streets.
As ruas da cidade eram muito tranquilas à noite.
The city streets were very peaceful at night.
'Eram' connects books with 'ser' to highlight their quality in the past.