cuando yo era
/kwando ʝo eɾa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "when I was" is translated into Spanish as cuando yo era.
This phrase is used to introduce a description of a state or condition in the speaker's past.
Which one should you use?
Use cuando yo era when describing a continuous state, such as being a child. In contrast, cuando yo fui would be used to refer to a completed event or a specific, bounded moment in the past.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the phrase En mis tiempos is commonly used to mean "When I was young".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the imperfect indicative tense (era) to describe an ongoing state or period in the past.
Did you know?
- The word yo in your phrase comes from the Late Latin 'eo', which is closely related to the Classical Latin 'egō', the ancestor of the English word 'I'.
- While you can say cuando yo era, native speakers often drop the yo entirely. The ending of the word era already tells the listener who is speaking.
- Spanish handles the concept of 'being' in the past so specifically that using era instead of fui tells the listener that you view your past as a continuous state rather than a closed chapter.
Examples in context
- Mi mamá murió cuando yo era niño.My mother died when I was a child.This sentence is useful for showing how to use cuando yo era to describe being a child.Tatoeba #1457283 by marcelostockle, translation #649796 by szaby78
- Mi madre murió cuando yo era pequeño.My mother died when I was a kid.This sentence is useful for showing how to use cuando yo era to describe being a kid.Tatoeba #858772 by manufrutos, translation #245859 by CK
- Mi abuelo murió cuando yo era un niño.My grandfather died when I was a boy.This sentence is useful for showing how to use cuando yo era to describe being a boy.Tatoeba #2084553 by Shishir, translation #251331 by CK
- Cuando yo era jovenWhen I was young
- Durante mi época de estudianteDuring my student days
- Cuando era niñoWhen I was a child
- Cuando yo tenía 20 añosWhen I was 20 years old
- En mis tiempos, las cosas eran diferentesWhen I was young, things were different
- Cuando era niño, jugaba fútbolWhen I was a child, I played soccer
- Cuando era estudiante, aprendía muchoWhen I was a student, I learned a lot
- Cuando era joven, visité Madrid en 2005When I was young, I visited Madrid in 2005
- Cuando yo era profesor, disfrutaba enseñar a los estudiantes.When I was a professor, I enjoyed teaching students.
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are talking about their old hobbies.
- AlejandroCuando yo era estudiante, jugaba al fútbol.When I was a student, I used to play soccer.
- Elena¿De verdad? Yo era muy tímida en la escuela.Really? I was very shy in school.
- AlejandroNo lo pareces, Elena.You don't seem like it, Elena.
- ElenaBueno, era muy diferente antes.Well, I was very different before.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuando, era, yo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
