cuando era joven
/kwando eɾa xoben/from spelling rules
The English phrase "when I was young" is translated into Spanish as cuando era joven.
cuando era joven is used to refer to a time in the past when the speaker was a child or a youth.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down into cuando (when), era (the imperfect form of the verb ser, meaning "to be") and joven (young).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the imperfect tense in the form era because it describes a continuous state or a period of time in the past.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish dialects, joven is used as a polite noun to address a stranger, similar to saying 'young man' or 'young lady' in English.
- The Spanish word joven is a descendant of the Latin word iuvenis, which is also the root for the English word 'juvenile'.
- The use of the imperfect tense era in this phrase creates a specific nostalgic or descriptive mood, rather than simply stating a completed fact about the past.
Examples in context
- Yo fumaba cuando era joven.I did smoke when I was young.This sentence shows how to use cuando era joven to describe a past habit.Tatoeba #529239 by Leono, translation #258425 by CK
- Nadaba más rápido cuando era joven.I could swim faster when I was young.This sentence demonstrates using cuando era joven to describe a past ability.Tatoeba #840752 by Shishir, translation #265702 by CK
- Mi padre me abandonó cuando era joven.My father abandoned me when I was young.This sentence shows cuando era joven used to describe a specific event that happened during that time period.Tatoeba #7033174 by Eremon, translation #3419271 by Hybrid
- Cuando era joven, solía caminar al colegio todas las mañanas.When I was young, I used to walk to school every morning.
- Cuando era chico/a, solía trepar árboles todo el tiempo.When I was a kid, I used to climb trees all the time.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about their childhood hobbies.
- SofíaMe gustaba mucho dibujar cuando era joven.I liked to draw a lot when I was young.
- Mateo¿Todavía dibujas ahora, Sofía?Do you still draw now, Sofía?
- SofíaNo, dejé de hacerlo hace años.No, I stopped doing it years ago.
- MateoEs una lástima, deberías volver a empezar.That's a shame, you should start again.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuando, era, joven, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
