cuando era pequeño
/kwando eɾa pekeɲo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "when I was little" is translated into Spanish as cuando era pequeño.
This phrase is used to refer to the period of time in a person's life when they were a child.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of cuando (when), era (I was/he/she was) and pequeño (small/little).
Which one should you use?
The phrase uses the imperfect tense era because it describes a continuous state or a habitual action in the past rather than a single completed event. You can also use cuando era niño to mean "when I was a child" (for a male) or cuando era niña (for a female).
How does it change in a sentence?
If the speaker is female, the adjective must change to the feminine form cuando era pequeña.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, parents continue to call their adult children mi pequeño or mi pequeña as a term of endearment.
- The word pequeño shares a distant ancestry with the Welsh word bach and the Irish word beag, meaning they all trace back to ancient roots describing smallness.
- Even though cuando era pequeño is the standard way to say 'when I was little', you can also use the word chiquito to sound more affectionate or to emphasize how tiny you felt.
Examples in context
- Cuando era pequeño, sólo me ponía pantalones.When I was little, I would only wear pants.This sentence is useful for showing how to use cuando era pequeño to describe past habits.Tatoeba #576581 by Shishir, translation #575309 by FeuDRenais2
- Mi padre solía traerme aquí cuando era pequeño.My father used to bring me here when I was little.This sentence is useful for showing how to use cuando era pequeño to describe past habitual actions.Tatoeba #4062341 by Shishir, translation #10283070 by Marqasa
- Cuando era pequeño, siempre me levantaba pronto.When I was little, I always woke up early.Tatoeba #2746764 by Shishir, translation #11218474 by DJ_Saidez
- Cuando era pequeña, solía jugar en el parque todas las tardes.When I was little, I used to play at the park every afternoon.
- De pequeño, me encantaba jugar con mis amigos en el barrio.When I was little, I loved playing with my friends in the neighborhood.
- Cuando era chiquita, siempre me acompañaba mi abuelo a todas partes.When I was little, my grandfather always accompanied me everywhere.
- Cuando era pequeño, me gustaba dibujar.When I was little, I liked to draw.
- Cuando era niño/niña, soñaba con ser astronauta.When I was a boy/girl, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut.
- De pequeño, solía trepar los árboles del parque con mis amigos.When I was little, I used to climb the trees at the park with my friends.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuando, era, pequeño, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
