era stato

had been

→ essere

phrase Uncommon #10,728

had been Past perfect passive form of essere. Used for a masculine singular subject; it changes with gender and number (era stata, erano stati, erano state).

IT: Il mio telefono era stato lasciato sul tavolo.

EN: My phone had been left on the table.

Ammise che non era stato educato.

He admitted that he hadn't been educated.

Ha detto che era stato umiliato.

He said that he had been humiliated.

Che era stato scoperto in Italia.

Which had been discovered in Italy.

— It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

Era stato avvertito molte volte ma non ha mai ascoltato nessuno.

He had been warned many times but he never listened to anyone.

Sigi era stato ritrovato.

Sigi had been found.

— Il nastro bianco (2009)

Ti era stato detto di non farti mai vedere su questo treno.

You were told never to be seen on this train.

— C'era una volta il West (1968)

Il parlamento era stato sciolto e il Presidente era scappato.

Parliament had been dissolved and the President had fled.

— L'ultimo imperatore (1987)

Disse che era stato occupato.

He said he had been busy.

Lui disse che era stato avviato dalla DARPA.

He said it was started by DARPA.

— L'organo genocida (2017)

Tutto era stato fatto, niente era stato dimenticato.

Everything had been done, nothing had been forgotten.

— La fiamma del peccato (1944)

Mi era stato dato tutto ciò che conta molto tempo fa.

Everything that matters had been given to me a long time ago.

— Suzume (2022)

Nello stesso modo in cui era stato insegnato a suo padre, nonno e bisnonno.

The same way his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had been taught.

— Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Il Castello dell’Infinito (2025)

Ha detto che era stato occupato.

He said he had been busy.

Lei fece quello che le era stato detto.

She did what she was told.

Il ragazzo era stato rimandato al riformatorio.

The boy had been sent back to reform school.

— Les choristes - I ragazzi del coro (2004)

Che era stato rapinato.

Who had been robbed.

— Mystic River (2003)

Suo marito era stato ammazzato e lei doveva crescere le figlie.

Her husband had been murdered and she had to raise her daughters.

— City of God (2002)

Disse che era stato impegnato.

He said he had been busy.

Il suo tetto era stato danneggiato.

Its roof had been damaged.

Mi ha detto che era stato sospeso.

He told me that he had been suspended.

Era stato inviato di guerra.

He had been a war correspondent.

— Passengers (2016)

Qualche giorno fa, il corpo del marito era stato trovato qui.

A few days ago, the husband's body had been found here.

— Andhadhun (2018)

Ma, due sere prima, quel chirurgo era stato avvelenato.

But, two nights before, that surgeon had been poisoned.

— Bullet Train (2022)

Mi era stato chiesto di aspettare qui.

I was asked to wait here.

Un Codice Rosso era stato ordinato dal tenente Kendrick.

A Code Red had been ordered by Lieutenant Kendrick.

— Codice d'onore (1992)

Mi era stato ordinato di prenderlo a Pejite.

I was ordered to get it in Pejite.

— Nausicaä della Valle del vento (1984)

phrase Uncommon #20,239

had been Past perfect of essere. It often appears in passive forms, like era stato detto = had been told.

IT: Da giovane era stato molto timido.

EN: As a young man, he had been very shy.

Il tuo amico Markum, appena l'ho visto ho capito che era stato in galera.

Your friend Markum—as soon as I saw him, I knew he’d been in prison.

— Mystic River (2003)

L'ospedale disse che era stato un colpo di calore.

The hospital said it had been heatstroke.

— Codice d'onore (1992)

Tom ci ha detto perché era stato assente.

Tom told us why he had been absent.

Oh, il corpo era stato fatto letteralmente a pezzi!

Oh, the body had literally been torn to pieces!

— Audition (2000)

L'ho usata come mi era stato detto.

I used it as I had been told.

— Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Il Castello dell’Infinito (2025)

Era stato lì molte volte da bambino con i nonni.

He had been there many times as a child with his grandparents.

La fece come gli era stato detto.

He did it as he was told.

Ero l'unica che non sapeva Tom era stato in prigione.

I was the only one who didn’t know Tom had been in prison.

Proprio come prima, mio cugino era stato facile da trovare.

Just like before, my cousin was easy to find.

— Ricchi... da morire - Delitti in famiglia (2026)

Dov'era stato quell'uccello.

Where had that bird been?

— It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

Che era stato un brutto incidente.

That it had been a bad accident.

— Senna (2010)

Lo fece come gli era stato detto.

He did it as he was told.

Non era stato il mio primo amore.

He hadn’t been my first love.

Il padre una volta era stato un direttore delle poste.

The father had once been a postmaster.

— 3 Idiots (2009)