How to Say ‘It was’ in Italian
È stata
eh STAH-tah
[eh STAH-tah]
💬 Usage Tip: [È stata] is feminine because it refers back to something feminine, here understood as a feminine noun like [occasione] or [azione]. In Italian, [was] often changes to match what you're talking about: [è stato bello] but [è stata dura].
Phrase Breakdown
È
[eh]
it was / has been
Third-person singular of essere; used here to describe a past situation or moment.
È stata una grande paura per tutti.
It was a big scare for everyone.
stata
[STAH-tah]
been
Past participle of essere; with è, it forms 'it was' in the feminine because of an understood feminine noun like azione or occasione.
È stata un'azione pericolosissima.
It was a very dangerous play.
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