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no estaban

they weren't

→ no
phrase Uncommon #16,287
they weren't The imperfect tense of estar in the negative, used for plural subjects to describe a past state, condition, or location. Depending on context, it can also mean “you weren't” when addressing multiple people formally.
SP: No estaban preparados para la noticia.
EN: They weren't prepared for the news.

No estaban conmigo.

They weren’t with me.

No estaban enfadados.

They weren't angry.

Las niñas no estaban asustadas, pero sí los niños.

The girls weren't scared, but the boys were.

No estaban a bordo.

They were not on board.

— El quinto elemento (1997)

No estaban en casa así que lo traje.

They weren't home so I brought it over.

— Mi vecino Totoro (1988)

No estaban tan buenos como otras veces.

They weren't as good as usual.

— Tampopo (1985)

Las ciruelas no estaban maduras.

The plums weren't ripe.

Mi mamá se fijó que mis pies no estaban limpios.

My mom noticed that my feet weren't clean.

No estaban en la lista.

They were not on the list.

— Battle Royale (2000)

Mi madre se dio cuenta de que mis pies no estaban limpios.

My mother noticed that my feet weren’t clean.

Tom y Mary dijeron que no estaban equivocados.

Tom and Mary said they weren’t wrong.

Por esos con chocolates que no estaban disponibles.

Because of those with chocolates that weren't available.

— Who Am I: Ningún sistema es seguro (2014)

Dijeron que no estaban ocupados.

They said they weren't busy.

No estaban contentos.

They were not happy.

— Oh Boy (2012)

No estaban seguros de si había supervivientes del naufragio.

They weren’t sure whether there were any survivors of the shipwreck.

Los padres de Tomás no estaban contentos.

Tomás's parents weren't happy.

Como era domingo, las tiendas no estaban abiertas.

Since it was Sunday, the shops were not open.

En la tienda no estaban a gusto con él.

They weren't happy with him in the store.

No estaban ahí.

They weren't there.

No estaban en casa.

They weren't home.