ἦτε
eimí
you were
To be, to exist, to live; the core copulative verb indicating existence, presence, or identity. Functions as the primary verb for expressing 'being' or existence, used to connect a subject with a predicate or to indicate presence in a particular state or condition. Semantic range includes factual existence ('to exist, to be'), locative or situational presence ('to be present, to be in a place or condition'), identity statements ('to be [something/someone]'), and, at times, expressing equivalence, belonging, or occurrence ('to mean, to signify, to occur, to take place').
John 9:41 · Word #6
Lexicon G1510
| Lemma | εἰμί |
| Transliteration | eimí |
| Strong's | G1510 |
| Definition | To be, to exist, to live; the core copulative verb indicating existence, presence, or identity. Functions as the primary verb for expressing 'being' or existence, used to connect a subject with a predicate or to indicate presence in a particular state or condition. Semantic range includes factual existence ('to exist, to be'), locative or situational presence ('to be present, to be in a place or condition'), identity statements ('to be [something/someone]'), and, at times, expressing equivalence, belonging, or occurrence ('to mean, to signify, to occur, to take place'). |
Morphology V IMPF ACT IND 2P PL
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action |
| Voice | ACT — Active — The subject performs the action |
| Mood | IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality |
| Person | 2P — 2nd person — The one spoken to ("you") |
| Number | PL — Plural — More than one |
Common Translation
| Phrase | you were |
| Literal | you-were |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | εἰμί |
| Strong's | G1510 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G1510-27
years
| Morphological Notes | Noun, accusative, neuter, plural (Gr,N,,,,,ANP) |
| Rendering Rationale | The form ἔτη is accusative neuter plural, denoting multiple full annual cycles. "Years" directly reflects the root meaning of completed yearly periods while preserving the plural morphology. |
View full lexicon entry for G1510 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
you were
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | P1 'years' is a mistranslation; ἦτε is second person plural imperfect of 'to be.' Correct rendering is 'you were' to indicate the state of being. |
| P1 Flag | genuine error—P1 rendered as 'years' but correct root is 'to be' (G1510), not 'year'. |