Are是英文中的be动词，其过去式为were。Were用于描述过去的状态或情况，例如：

- I was happy yesterday.（昨天我很开心。）

- They were tired after the long walk.（走了很长时间后，他们感到疲倦。）

- We were in love for many years.（我们相爱了很多年。）

在疑问句和否定句中，were也常用于过去时态：

- Were you at the party last night?（你昨晚在派对上吗？）

- They weren't interested in the movie.（他们对这部电影不感兴趣。）

此外，were还可用于虚拟语气中，表示假设、愿望或建议：

- If I were you, I would take a break.（如果我是你，我会休息一下。）

- I wish I were taller.（我希望自己更高一些。）

- It's important that we were on time.（我们准时到场很重要。）

总之，were是be动词的过去式，用于描述过去的状态、情况、疑问、否定、虚拟语气等。