étaisproper nouncommon nounverbSyllable DecompositionétaisEtymologyexpandfrom the Old French estoe, estoes, etc., forms of the verb ester, itself derived from the Latin stare (to stand), related to the Spanish estar and the Italian stare.Definitions1. First person singular of the imperfect of 'to be'.expand2. Second person singular of the imperfect of 'to be'.expandJ'étais en tête.Tu étais en queue.See alsoétai (cn.) Étais (pn.)