ele estava

he was

→ ele
phrase Very common #1,757
he was Composed of ele + estava, the imperfect past of estar. Often used for location, condition, or an ongoing situation in the past.
PO: Quando cheguei, ele estava em casa.
EN: When I arrived, he was at home.

Ele estava em terra.

He was ashore.

— Não Conte a Ninguém (2006)

Ele estava bem atrás de mim.

He was right behind me.

Ele estava relutante em ir lá.

He was reluctant to go there.

Ele estava esgotado quando chegou em casa.

He was exhausted when he got home.

Ele estava de joelhos, implorando perdão a mulher.

He was on his knees, begging the woman for forgiveness.

— Rashomon (1950)

Ele estava sem fôlego.

He was out of breath.

Ele estava desaparecido, lembra?

He was missing, remember?

— As Diabólicas (1955)

Ele estava com Chand Nawab.

He was with Chand Nawab.

— Irmão Bajrangi (2015)

Ele estava vermelho de raiva.

He was red with anger.

Ele estava absorto em pensamentos.

He was lost in thought.

Assim deixe-me deixá-lo do jeito que ele estava.

So let me leave it the way it was.

— PK (2014)

Ele estava impressionado.

He was impressed.

Ele estava com o General.

He was with the General.

— O Leopardo (1963)

Ele estava, visivelmente, muito doente.

He was visibly very ill.

Ele estava apressado para ver seu pai.

He was in a hurry to see his father.

Ele estava louco.

He was crazy.

— Viver (1952)

Ele estava com uma menina.

He was with a girl.

— M, o Vampiro de Dusseldorf (1931)

Ele estava bastante surpreso.

He was quite surprised.

Por que ele estava todo molhado?

Why was he soaking wet?

— Маленькая Вера (1988)

Como ele estava no fundo do oceano penso que é pouco provável.

Since it was at the bottom of the ocean, I think that's unlikely.

— Rebecca, A Mulher Inesquecível (1940)

Ele estava na estação de Pandua.

He was at Pandua station.

— देवदास (2002)

O Tom agora bebe muito mais do que ele estava habituado.

Tom now drinks much more than he used to.

Ele estava deitado na grama.

He was lying on the grass.

Ele estava a brincar.

He was joking.

— Kin-Dza-Dza (1986)

Ele estava no telhado com sua guitarra.

He was on the roof with his guitar.

Ele estava com inveja.

He was jealous.

Ele estava sereno na crise.

He remained calm during the crisis.

Ele estava perplexo.

He was perplexed.

O capitão estava aqui, e ele estava daquele lado.

The captain was here, and he was on that side.

— A Infância de Ivan (1962)

Me disseram que ele estava sem um dente, quando foi encontrado.

I was told he was missing a tooth when he was found.

— A Empregada (2025)

Ele estava com sede.

He was thirsty.

Ele estava pronto para lutar pelo Islão.

He was ready to fight for Islam.

Ele estava envergonhado… drogado.

He was embarrassed… high.

— Justiça Artificial (2026)

Não percebeu como ele estava vermelho?

Didn't you notice how red he was?

— Suspiria (1977)

Era como uma luz deslumbrante e senti que ele estava no meu quarto.

It was like a dazzling light, and I felt like he was in my room.

— Malcolm X (1992)

Ele estava exposto a muitos perigos.

He was exposed to many dangers.

Mas ele estava contigo.

But he was with you.

— Mulheres à Beira de um Ataque de Nervos (1988)

Ele estava de óculos.

He was wearing glasses.

Ele estava tão triste que quase enlouqueceu.

He was so sad that he almost went crazy.

Ele estava sempre no bar.

He was always at the bar.

— Segunda-Feira ao Sol (2002)

Ele estava no jardim mais cedo.

He was in the garden earlier.

— Intocáveis (2011)

Ele estava destinado a se tornar um grande músico.

He was destined to become a great musician.

E ele estava vivo, entendeu?

And he was alive, you understand?

— Máquina de Guerra (2026)

Ele estava com ciúme da esposa.

He was jealous of his wife.

Ele estava visivelmente constrangido.

He was visibly embarrassed.

Ele admitiu que ele estava nervoso.

He admitted that he was nervous.

Tom disse para o mundo que ele estava tentado a fazer isso.

Tom told the world that he was tempted to do it.

Ele estava drogado.

He was on drugs.

Ele estava atordoado.

He was stunned.

Ele estava encrencado.

He was in trouble.

Ele estava como um peixe fora da água.

He was like a fish out of water.

Como você, ele estava preocupado com o sentido da vida.

Like you, he was concerned with the meaning of life.

— Leviatã (2014)

Ele estava bem aí, onde você está.

He was right there, where you are.

— O Ódio (1995)

Ele estava todo coberto com tinta branca.

He was completely covered in white paint.

Eles dizem que ele estava no hospital àquela hora.

They say he was in the hospital at that time.

O Tom disse a Mary que ele estava desanimado.

Tom told Mary that he was feeling down.

Ele estava de mãos vazias.

He was empty-handed.

Ele estava sem nenhuma dor.

He was not in any pain.

— Piku (2015)

Onde ele estava escondido?

Where was he hiding?

— Roma, Cidade Aberta (1945)

Ele estava nervoso antes da apresentação.

He was nervous before the presentation.

Por Júpiter, ele estava aqui, ainda agora.

By Jupiter, he was here, even now.

— Astérix e Obélix: Missão Cleópatra (2002)

Ele estava desapontado.

He was disappointed.

Perguntei a Tom se ele estava nervoso.

I asked Tom if he was nervous.

Ele estava com Deus no princípio.

He was with God in the beginning.

Ele estava acompanhado de sua mulher no jantar.

He was accompanied by his wife at dinner.

Ele estava indiferente.

He was indifferent.

Tom mentiu sobre onde ele estava naquele dia.

Tom lied about where he was that day.

Ele estava com o coração partido.

He was heartbroken.

Ele estava.

He was.

— Boa Sorte, Divirta-se, Não Morra (2026)

Ele estava aqui até agora, sumiu de repente.

He was here just now, and then he suddenly disappeared.

— Como Estrelas na Terra (2007)

Ele estava magoado.

He was hurt.

Ele estava em frente de casa.

He was in front of the house.

— Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003)

Ele estava com você naquela noite.

He was with you that night.

— Des vents contraires (2011)

Confira onde ele estava no dia que foi morto.

Find out where he was on the day he was killed.

— Decisão de Partir (2022)

Como ele estava?

What was he like?

— Assassinato às Cegas (2018)

Tom disse a Mary que ele estava envergonhado.

Tom told Mary that he was ashamed.

Ouvi dizer que ele estava à procura de trabalho.

I heard he was looking for work.

Tom escreveu muitas cartas para Mary enquanto ele estava longe.

Tom wrote many letters to Mary while he was away.

Ele estava sem apetite devido ao calor.

He had lost his appetite because of the heat.

Ele estava na fila.

He was in line.

Ele estava deitado.

He was lying down.

— Ele Está de Volta (2015)

Ele estava num estado de dar pena.

He was in a pitiful state.

Eu estava convencida de que ele estava culpado.

I was convinced he was guilty.

Ele estava furioso que você desligou na cara dele.

He was furious that you hung up on him.

— Os Visitantes (1993)

Ele estava à frente do tempo.

He was ahead of his time.

— Conflito das Águas (2011)

Ele estava ansioso por notícias.

He was anxious for news.

Ele estava sob efeito de álcool quando bateu seu carro.

He was under the influence of alcohol when he crashed his car.

Ele estava perto de descobrir a tumba.

He was close to discovering the tomb.

— Indiana Jones e a Última Cruzada (1989)

Ele estava logo à frente de Prost no campeonato.

He was just ahead of Prost in the championship.

— Senna (2010)

Ele estava com todas minhas colheres nos bolsos.

He had all my spoons in his pockets.

— O Hobbit: Uma Jornada Inesperada (2012)

Ele estava azul de frio.

He was blue with cold.

Ele estava péssimo.

He was in terrible shape.

— Cães de Aluguel (1992)

Tom passou alguns poucos anos em Boston quando ele estava na faculdade.

Tom spent a few years in Boston while he was in college.

Ele estava na casa dos McBain.

He was at the McBain's house.

— Era uma Vez no Oeste (1968)

Mas ele estava em sua fraternidade.

But he was with his brotherhood.

— Férias de Amor (1955)

Ele estava debaixo da água por três minutos.

He was underwater for three minutes.

Ele estava chateado o dia todo.

He was upset all day.

Ele estava um bocado bêbado.

He was quite drunk.

Ele estava no rio, próximo da margem.

He was in the river, near the bank.

— A Infância de Ivan (1962)

Ele estava determinado a viajar pro exterior.

He was determined to travel abroad.

Ontem, ele estava bem.

Yesterday, he was fine.

— O Profeta (2009)

Ele estava com ela.

He was with her.

— Брат 2 (2000)

Ele estava ali comigo.

He was there with me.

— Malcolm X (1992)

Tom estava no time de basquete quando ele estava no ensino médio.

Tom was on the basketball team when he was in high school.

Tom não tinha certeza se ele estava preparado ou não.

Tom wasn't sure whether he was ready or not.

Ele estava duro.

He was stiff.

— Такси-блюз (1990)

Onde é que ele estava?

Where was he?

— A Lenda do Pianista do Mar (1998)

Ele estava entediado com sua esposa, uma excelente mulher que ele não merecia.

He was bored with his wife, an excellent woman he didn’t deserve.

Ele estava bem louco.

He was really high.

— Anora (2024)

Ele estava de terno.

He was wearing a suit.

Eu sei que ele estava com você.

I know he was with you.

— 3 Idiotas (2009)

Ele estava sem o carro.

He didn't have the car.

— As Diabólicas (1955)

Um deles disse por favor não e o meu pai ele estava muito orgulhoso de mim.

One of them said, “Please, no,” and my father—he was very proud of me.

— PK (2014)

Onde ele estava naquela noite?

Where was he that night?

Ele estava no colegial quando fugiu de casa.

He was in high school when he ran away from home.

— Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003)

Eu não sabia que ele estava aqui, nesse castelo.

I didn't know he was here, in this castle.

— Extermínio: O Templo dos Ossos (2026)

Ele estava desesperado quando gastou a última parte do seu dinheiro.

He was desperate when he spent the last of his money.

Ele estava com a bola toda.

He was on top of the world.

— Clube da Luta (1999)

Maddox, descobre onde ele estava hoje cedo?

Maddox, can you find out where he was earlier today?

— Justiça Artificial (2026)

Ele estava acompanhado de sua mulher.

He was accompanied by his wife.

Ele estava orgulhoso da filha.

He was proud of his daughter.

De repente ele estava casado, com duas filhas.

Suddenly, he was married, with two daughters.

— Preso na Escuridão (1997)

Ele estava com o corpo e o rosto cobertos de sangue.

His body and face were covered in blood.

— O Lamento (2016)

Ele estava aqui há pouco.

He was here a little while ago.

— O Sacrifício (1986)

Eu gostaria de saber onde ele estava!

I'd like to know where he was!

Ele estava em mangas de camisa.

He was wearing a shirtsleeve.

Ele estava com você, não estava?

He was with you, wasn't he?

— Um Lugar Silencioso (2018)

Ele estava bem atrás de mim!

He was right behind me!

— Anaconda (2025)

Ouvi que ele estava paralisado.

I heard that he was paralyzed.

— O Escafandro e a Borboleta (2007)

Ele estava muito nervoso para falar.

He was too nervous to speak.

Ele estava bêbado.

He was drunk.

— Jean de Florette (1986)

Ele estava sem dinheiro, veja você, foi necessário ir, para obter um empréstimo.

He was broke, you see, so he had to go get a loan.

— Swades: We, the People (2004)

Ele estava na tumba?

Was he in the tomb?

— Indiana Jones e a Última Cruzada (1989)

Era aqui que ele estava!

This is where he was!

— Anaconda (2025)

Ele estava deprimido.

He was depressed.

Queria dizer adeus ao Fai, mas ninguém sabia onde ele estava.

I wanted to say goodbye to Fai, but nobody knew where he was.

— Felizes Juntos (1997)

Tom contou para todo o mundo que ele estava exausto.

Tom told everyone that he was exhausted.

Quando ele parou de correr, ele estava satisfeito.

When he stopped running, he was satisfied.

Ele estava num estado terrível.

He was in a terrible state.

Ele estava impaciente para ver a filha.

He was impatient to see his daughter.

Ele estava com muito medo.

He was very scared.

— Hamnet: A Vida Antes de Hamlet (2025)

Ele estava, visivelmente, incomodado.

He was visibly annoyed.

Ele estava ao meu lado.

He was by my side.

— Máquina de Guerra (2026)

Ele estava sobre mim.

He was on top of me.

— O Conformista (1971)

Ele estava preocupado com sua saúde.

He was worried about his health.

Ele estava louco para provar.

He was dying to try it.

— Um Tiro na Noite (1981)

Ele estava com um livro nas mãos.

He was holding a book in his hands.

Ele estava bastante impressionado.

He was quite impressed.

Ele estava quase lá.

He was almost there.

Ele estava na casa.

He was at home.

— O Orfanato (2007)

Ele estava fascinado por sua beleza.

He was fascinated by her beauty.

Olhe, ele estava aqui!

Look, he was here!

— Astérix e Obélix: Missão Cleópatra (2002)

Ele estava deitado de costas?

Was he lying on his back?

Acho que porque ele estava com vergonha.

I think it's because he was embarrassed.

— Anatomia de uma Queda (2023)

Ele estava no segundo ano e havia começado aqui cheio de esperança.

He was in his second year and had started here full of hope.

— Whiplash: Em Busca da Perfeição (2014)

Ele estava ali por acaso.

He was there by chance.

De repente, quebrou-se o galho sobre o qual ele estava, e ele caiu no chão.

Suddenly, the branch he was standing on broke, and he fell to the ground.

Ele estava em Paris.

He was in Paris.

De acordo com você, ele estava nu com uma gravata?

According to you, he was naked except for a tie?

— Investigação sobre um Cidadão Acima de Qualquer Suspeita (1970)

Ele estava melhor com a Priya.

He was better off with Priya.

— O que o Coração Deseja (2001)

Ele estava envergonhado de não ter se esforçado.

He was ashamed that he hadn't tried harder.

Antes de morrer, ele estava quase cego.

Before he died, he was almost blind.

A personalidade de Yanni mudou porque ele estava sob muita pressão.

Yanni's personality changed because he was under a lot of pressure.

Ele estava bem, só algum nariz sangrando.

He was fine, just had a bit of a nosebleed.

— A Estrada da Vida (1954)

Ninguém sabia onde ele estava.

Nobody knew where he was.

Ele não me disse onde ele estava.

He didn't tell me where he was.

Ele estava exausto quando chegou em casa.

He was exhausted when he got home.

Ele estava de tocaia na varanda.

He was lying in wait on the balcony.

— Dinheiro Suspeito (2026)

Mas não ele estava hoje.

But he wasn’t today.

— Suspiria (1977)

Olhei para o grão-príncipe, ele estava pasmo.

I looked at the Grand Prince; he was astonished.

— Andrei Rublev (1966)

Ele estava no encontro.

He was at the meeting.

— Conclave (2024)

Eu não sabia que ele estava aí.

I didn't know he was there.

Ele estava destinado a nunca a encontrar novamente.

He was destined never to see her again.

Ele estava com alguma coisa.

He was high on something.

— Viver (1952)

Ele estava acompanhado por sua namorada.

He was accompanied by his girlfriend.

Eu nunca o escutei, mas eu me lembro que ele estava nas notícias.

I never listened to him, but I remember him being on the news.

— Vítima do Passado (1996)

Ele estava interessado em mim.

He was interested in me.

Obviamente ele estava equipado para lidar com o problema.

Obviously, he was equipped to handle the problem.

— Clube da Luta (1999)

phrase Uncommon #8,334
he was Imperfect past tense of estar. Often used for states or ongoing actions in the past.
PO: Ele estava cansado depois do trabalho.
EN: He was tired after work.

Ele estava nadando pela lagoa.

He was swimming in the lagoon.

Quando eu chamei ele, ele estava falando no telefone.

When I called him, he was talking on the phone.

Ele estava sofrendo de uma terrível dor de cabeça.

He was suffering from a terrible headache.

Ele estava transando.

He was having sex.

— Pecadores (2025)

Tom não contou para a Mary que ele estava indo embora.

Tom didn't tell Mary that he was leaving.

Ele estava fugindo e pediu abrigo.

He was running away and asked for shelter.

— A Pele Que Habito (2011)

Ele estava zombando de mim.

He was making fun of me.

— Dangal (2016)

Ele estava andando com as mãos nos bolsos.

He was walking with his hands in his pockets.

Ele estava atravessando a rua.

He was crossing the street.

Ele estava chamando por você.

He was calling for you.

— Uma Mulher Alta (2019)

Pelo que ele estava passando?

What was he going through?

— Anatomia de uma Queda (2023)

Ele estava jogando futebol com uma lata vazia.

He was playing football with an empty can.

Sim, mas ele estava ganhando o dinheiro.

Yes, but he was earning the money.

— As Aventuras de Paddington 2 (2017)

Tom tentou não deixar que todos soubessem quanta dor ele estava sentindo.

Tom tried not to let everyone know how much pain he was in.

Ele estava bebendo com nós, e depois se foi com Jo.

He was drinking with us, and then he left with Jo.

— O Salário do Medo (1953)

Nós estamos esperando por ele aqui, e ele estava nos esperando ali!

We're waiting for him here, and he was waiting for us there!

— Pinte de Açafrão (2006)

Ele estava sentado bebendo vinho.

He was sitting drinking wine.

E esse tempo todo, ele estava roubando.

And all this time, he was stealing.

— As Aventuras de Paddington 2 (2017)

Como ele estava contando a ela sobre a Índia?

How was he telling her about India?

— Маленькая Вера (1988)

Ele estava buscando o primeiro prêmio.

He was aiming for the first prize.

Ele estava sempre pegando dinheiro emprestado de mim.

He was always borrowing money from me.

Ele estava vivendo em Nagano por sete anos quando sua filha nasceu.

He had been living in Nagano for seven years when his daughter was born.

Ele estava procurando por uma gravata.

He was looking for a tie.

— Investigação sobre um Cidadão Acima de Qualquer Suspeita (1970)

Ele estava espionando.

He was spying.

— A Lenda de Bhagat Singh (2002)

Quando eu o chamei, ele estava falando no telefone.

When I called him, he was talking on the phone.

Ele estava sorrindo de forma estranha.

He was smiling in a strange way.

— Meu Amigo Ivan Lapshin (1985)

Quando o encontrei, ele estava morrendo de fome.

When I found him, he was starving.

— Anaconda (2025)

Ele estava mandando uma mensagem para ela.

He was texting her.

Ele estava rastejando.

He was crawling.

— Terror em Silent Hill: Regresso Para o Inferno (2026)

Ele estava dançando com Madge.

He was dancing with Madge.

— Férias de Amor (1955)

Sabe aquela cena, quando ele estava jogando?

You know that scene, when he was playing?

Ele estava vendendo lenha roubada.

He was selling stolen firewood.

— Meu Amigo Ivan Lapshin (1985)

Na noite em que Heathcliff desapareceu, ele estava nos escutando.

On the night Heathcliff disappeared, he was listening to us.

— “O Morro dos Ventos Uivantes” (2026)

Sim, quando ele estava fugindo com ela.

Yes, when he was running away with her.

— Ladrões de Bicicleta (1948)

Vera olhou para Sergey porque ele estava traindo a esposa dele.

Vera glared at Sergey because he was cheating on his wife.

Ele estava transando com a secretária?

Was he sleeping with his secretary?

— Truque de Mestre: O 3° Ato (2025)

Ele estava se mexendo.

He was moving.

— O Senhor dos Anéis: As Duas Torres (2002)

Fadil queria que o mundo visse que ele estava matando Layla.

Fadil wanted the world to see that he was killing Layla.

Ele estava vivendo no edifício durante três anos.

He had been living in the building for three years.

— Vítima do Passado (1996)

Ele estava só vendo.

He was just watching.

— Malcolm X (1992)

Será que agora aprende aquela língua que ele estava julgando tão difícil?

Will he finally learn that language he thought was so difficult?

Ele estava sempre gritando.

He was always yelling.

— Corra, Milkha, Corra (2013)

Ele estava ouvindo música.

He was listening to music.