Era uma vez...

"Once upon a time" is a stock phrase that has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the Oxford English Dictionary) in storytelling in the English language, and seems to have become a widely accepted convention for opening oral narratives by around 1600.

These stories often then end with "... and they all lived happily ever after", or, originally, "happily until their deaths." These are examples of the narrative form, and occur most frequently in the narratives produced by children aged between 6 and 8.

It is particularly apparent in fairytales for younger children, where it is almost always the opening line of a tale. It was commonly used in the original translations of the stories of Charles Perrault as a translation for the French "il était une fois" and of Hans Christian Andersen, or the Brothers Grimm as a translation for the German "es war einmal" (literally "it was once").

The phrase is also frequently used in oral storytelling, such as retellings of myths, fables, and folklore.


Portuguese: Era uma vez... 'There was, once...' Common ending: "... e viveram felizes para sempre" (... and they lived happily forever)

Spanish: Érase/Había una vez... 'There was, once...' Common ending: ... y vivieron felices y comieron perdices. '...and they lived happy and ate partridges.'