No. 30 in Russian
были
"Были" means "were" (past tense of "to be" for plural subjects).
In a sentence
Вчера мы были в парке.
Yesterday, we were in the park.
Here, "были" is the past tense plural form of the verb "быть" (to be), used to indicate past presence in a location.
Если бы они были добрее, всё бы наладилось.
If they were kinder, everything would have improved.
In this sentence, "были" is used as a conditional past tense form of "быть" in a hypothetical clause.
Они всегда были известными художниками.
They have always been famous artists.
Here, "были" is the past tense plural form of "быть," describing a state of existence or status.
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