estaba ciego
/estaba θjeɡo/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "i was blind" is estaba ciego.
What does it mean word for word?
estaba is the first-person singular imperfect form of the verb estar, which is used for states and conditions and ciego is an adjective meaning "blind".
Which one should you use?
estaba ciego uses the imperfect tense to describe a continuous state or a background condition in the past. In contrast, if you are referring to a specific, completed period of time in the past rather than a continuous state or description, you should use estuve ciego.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the speaker is female, the adjective must change from ciego to ciega, resulting in estaba ciega.
How do you pronounce it?
/estaba θjeɡo/
Did you know?
- The Latin ancestor of ciego, 'caecus', is the direct root of the English word 'caecum', which refers to a part of the large intestine.
- In Spanish, the word ciego is used for 'blind alleys' or 'dead ends' in a street, describing a road that has no exit.
- The term ciego is used in the phrase hacerse el ciego, which means to pretend not to notice something or to play dumb.
Examples in context
- Era ciego antes de mi cirugía ocular.I was blind before my eye surgery.
- Era ciego antes de usar lentes de contacto.I was blind before using contact lenses.
- Estaba ciego de tanto leer.I was blind from reading so much.
- No veía nada porque estaba ciego.I saw nothing because I was blind.
- Antes de la operación, estaba ciego.Before the operation, I was blind.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are talking about a past medical experience.
- LucíaAlejandro, ¿cómo era tu vida antes?Alejandro, what was your life like before?
- AlejandroFue difícil porque yo estaba ciego.It was difficult because I was blind.
- LucíaMe imagino que fue un gran cambio.I imagine it was a huge change.
- AlejandroSí, ahora puedo ver todo el mundo.Yes, now I can see the whole world.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ciego, CC BY-SA 4.0.
