traía
/tra-EE-ah/
was bringing
A person bringing a gift toward someone, illustrating the action of carrying something toward a speaker.
traía(verb)
was bringing
?carrying something toward the speaker in the past
used to bring
?a past habit or repeated action
,was carrying
?having something with you in a past moment
📝 In Action
Yo traía la comida mientras él ponía la mesa.
A2I was bringing the food while he was setting the table.
Mi abuelo siempre nos traía dulces cuando nos visitaba.
A2My grandfather always used to bring us sweets when he visited us.
El cartero traía un paquete muy grande.
B1The mailman was carrying a very large package.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Was Doing' Form
Traía is part of the 'imperfect' family, which is used to set the scene or describe habits in the past without a specific start or end time.
Who is 'Traía'?
This word is tricky because it's the same for 'I' (yo) and 'he/she/it' (él/ella). You usually need to mention the person or look at the rest of the sentence to know who is being talked about.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Traía vs. Traje
Mistake: "Using 'traía' for a one-time completed action."
Correction: Use 'traje' or 'trajo' for a one-time event (e.g., 'Traje la pizza' - I brought the pizza). Use 'traía' for 'I was bringing the pizza when...'
⭐ Usage Tips
Describing Outfits
If you want to say someone 'was wearing' something in a story, 'traía' is a very natural way to describe it, as in 'Ella traía un vestido rojo' (She was wearing a red dress).
The arrival of storm clouds, representing how one situation can bring about or cause another.
traía(verb)
was causing
?bringing about a situation or consequence
was leading to
?resulting in something
📝 In Action
Esa decisión traía muchas consecuencias negativas.
B2That decision was causing many negative consequences.
💡 Grammar Points
Abstract Bringing
Just like in English, 'bringing' isn't always physical. It can describe how one situation leads to another.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: traía
Question 1 of 2
If you say 'Yo traía las llaves', what do you mean?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if 'traía' means 'I' or 'he'?
You look for context clues! If the speaker hasn't mentioned a third person, they are likely talking about themselves. To be very clear, Spaniards often add the word 'Yo' (I) or 'Él' (He) before the verb.
What is the difference between 'traía' and 'llevaba'?
'Traía' means bringing something TOWARD the speaker's location in the past. 'Llevaba' means taking something AWAY to a different location.