Spanish · B1 · Everyday language
When We Were Younger in Spanish
Sharing childhood memories is a wonderful way to connect with your child. In Spanish, we use the 'Pretérito Imperfecto' (Imperfect Tense) to describe habitual actions or states in the past, similar to saying 'I used to' or 'I was' in English.
What you'll learn
- Use the Spanish Imperfect tense to describe childhood habits.
- Discuss past hobbies and social activities.
- Form regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in the past descriptive sense.
Spanish phrases for when we were younger
Cuando tenía tu edad, jugaba al baloncesto todos los sábados.
When I was your age, I played basketball every Saturday.
'Jugaba' implies a repeated action in the past.
Mi mejor amigo vivía al lado.
My best friend lived next door.
'Al lado' is a common way to say 'next door' or 'nearby'.
A menudo esperábamos juntos fuera del club juvenil.
We often waited outside the youth club together.
'Esperábamos' comes from the verb 'esperar'.
Mi hermana trabajaba en su maqueta de tren después del colegio.
My sister worked on her model railway after school.
'Maqueta' refers to a scale model.
¿Coleccionabas cromos cuando eras más joven?
Did you collect stickers when you were younger?
'Cromos' is the common word for collectible stickers/cards in Spain.
Tú y tu primo construíais maquetas de cartón todas las vacaciones.
You and your cousin built cardboard models every holiday.
Using the 'vosotros' form for 'you and your cousin'.
Aprendía a tocar la guitarra con dos amigos del colegio.
I learned the guitar with two school friends.
'Aprendía' suggests the ongoing process of learning during that time.
Mis amigos compraban cómics con su paga.
My friends bought comics with their pocket money.
'La paga' refers to a child's weekly or monthly allowance.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Al lado
Next door / Beside
A very useful spatial expression in daily conversation.
Cromos
Stickers / Trading cards
Specific to collectible items kids swap.
La paga
Pocket money / Allowance
The money parents give children regularly.
Maqueta
Model / Scale model
Used for hobbies like building trains or planes.
The Imperfect Tense (Habitual Past)
To talk about childhood memories, Spanish uses the Imperfect tense. For -AR verbs, the suffix is -aba. For -ER and -IR verbs, the suffix is -ía. Unlike some other languages, Spanish endings change clearly for each person.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -AR Verbs (e.g., Jugar) | jug-aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban | Yo jugaba (I used to play) |
| -ER/-IR Verbs (e.g., Vivir) | viv-ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían | Nosotros vivíamos (We lived/were living) |
More examples
Siempre estudiábamos en la biblioteca.
We always studied in the library.
Shows the -ábamos ending for -AR verbs.
Ella corría por el parque cada tarde.
She used to run through the park every afternoon.
Shows the -ía ending for -ER verbs.