What does ていた mean?


I could not understand ていた right after 晴れ in the sentence below.

> 海岸に行った時、とてもよく晴れ **ていた** んです。




ていた doesn't mean anything on itself, because it's a part of conjugation:

  * 晴れる{はれる} - the verb - which means roughly "to become clear" (as in clear weather).
  * 晴れて{はれて} - verb's te-form
  * て+いる - a grammar form for continuous action
  * て+いた - continuous action in the past

Combined, 晴れていた means "it was sunny" or "the skies were clear".




ていた doesn't mean anything on itself, because it's a part of conjugation:

  * 晴れる{はれる} - the verb - which means roughly "to become clear" (as in clear weather).
  * 晴れて{はれて} - verb's te-form
  * て+いる - a grammar form for continuous action
  * て+いた - continuous action in the past

Combined, 晴れていた means "it was sunny" or "the skies were clear".

