cuando era más joven
/kwando eɾa mas xoben/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'when I was younger' is translated into Spanish as cuando era más joven.
This phrase is used to refer to a time in the past when the speaker was at a lower age.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of cuando (when), era (I was), más (more) and joven (young).
Which one should you use?
Using the preterite form cuando fui más joven is generally incorrect. This is because being young is viewed as a continuous state in the past rather than a completed, momentary event.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the expression De pequeño/a is used to mean 'When I was little'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the imperfect indicative tense era because it describes a continuous state or habitual period in the past.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word más comes from the Latin 'magis', which is also the root of the English word 'master'.
- In Spain, using de pequeño instead of cuando era más joven often implies a sense of innocence or nostalgia that 'being younger' does not always convey.
- The Spanish word era can function as a noun meaning 'era' or 'epoch'. While it is used here as the imperfect form of 'ser', it shares a name with the concept of a distinct historical period.
Examples in context
- Yo era gorda cuando era más joven.I was fat when I was younger.This sentence uses cuando era más joven to describe a past physical state.Tatoeba #2314643 by marcelostockle, translation #2293567 by CK
- Lo hacía a menudo cuando era más joven.I did that a lot when I was younger.This sentence uses cuando era más joven to describe a past habitual action.Tatoeba #6741093 by arh, translation #6740521 by CK
- Cuando era más joven, no me gustaba cantar.When I was younger, I didn't like to sing.This sentence uses cuando era más joven to describe a past preference.Tatoeba #10115495 by ulymarrero, translation #10115496 by ulymarrero
- Recuerdo cuando era joven y estudiaba en la universidad.I remember when I was young and studied at university.
- En mi juventud, solía viajar mucho por Europa.In my youth, I used to travel a lot around Europe.
- Cuando era chico, solía jugar fútbol todos los días.When I was a boy, I used to play soccer every day.
- En mis tiempos, no teníamos smartphones ni redes sociales.In my times, we didn't have smartphones or social media.
- De pequeño, siempre pasaba los veranos en la playa.When I was little, I always spent summers at the beach.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are talking about their old hobbies in a cafe.
- DanielCuando era más joven, jugaba al fútbol.When I was younger, I used to play soccer.
- Elena¿De verdad? Yo era muy deportista también.Really? I used to be very athletic too.
- DanielAhora prefiero caminar tranquilamente.Now I prefer walking calmly.
- ElenaYo también, el ritmo de vida ha cambiado.Me too, the pace of life has changed.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuando, era, joven, más, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
