How to Say "When I Was a Child" in Korean

어렸을 때

eoryeosseul ttae

The English phrase "when I was a child" is expressed in Korean as 어렸을 때 (eoryeosseul ttae).

This phrase is used to refer to the time in a person's life when they were young.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of the adjective 어리다 (to be young) in its past tense form 어렸 and the noun 때 (time/when), meaning "when (I) was young".

The subject "I" is often omitted in this phrase because it is understood from the context of the speaker's personal memory.

eoryeosseul ttae

While 어렸을 때 describes being young in age, the word 어리다 once meant 'to be foolish' in Middle Korean. This is why in old texts, calling a child 'young' was often a comment on their lack of wisdom.
In Korean, the concept of 'childhood' can be expressed by the word 동심, which literally translates to 'child's heart'. It is often used to describe the innocent or whimsical spirit one has during the time mentioned in 어렸을 때.
The word 때 has a history spanning over five centuries, appearing in the foundational 1446 text Hunminjeong'eum haerye in a Middle Korean form. It has remained a core way to denote 'time' or 'period' since the very beginning of the written script.

제 어릴 적에는 할머니와 함께 시골에서 자랐어요.
When I was a child, I grew up in the countryside with my grandmother.
나 어렸을 때, 학교 앞에서 친구들과 놀았어.
When I was a child, I played with friends in front of the school.
어렸을 때 가수였어요.
When I was a child, I was a singer.
어렸을 때 피아노를 배웠어요.
eoryeosseul ttae piano-reul bae-wosseoyo.
When I was a child, I learned the piano.
어렸을 때 키가 아주 컸어요.
eoryeosseul ttae ki-ga aju keosseoyo.
When I was a child, I was very tall.
어렸을 때 이 동네에 살았어요.
eoryeosseul ttae i dongne-e sarasseoyo.
When I was a child, I lived in this neighborhood.

Seoyeon and Dohyun are talking about their childhood hobbies.

서연 Seo-yeon

도현 씨는 어렸을 때 뭐 좋아했어요?
Dohyeon ssineun eoryeosseul ttae mwo joahasseoyo?
Dohyun, what did you like when you were a child?
도현 Do-hyeon

저는 어렸을 때 공룡을 정말 좋아했어요.
Jeoneun eoryeosseul ttae gongryongeul jeongmal joahasseoyo.
I really liked dinosaurs when I was a child.
서연 Seo-yeon

정말요? 귀여웠겠네요.
Jeongmallyo? Gwiyeowotgenneyo.
Really? You must have been cute.
도현 Do-hyeon

맞아요. 매일 공룡 책만 읽었어요.
Majayo. Maeil gongryong chaekman ilgeosseoyo.
That's true. I read only dinosaur books every day.

Sources

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