How to Say "back when" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “back when” is “cuando” — B2 level.
English → SpanishB2
prepositionB2
referring to a time or stage of life
Examples
Cuando niño, vivía en un pueblo pequeño.
As a child (back when I was a child), I lived in a small town.
Eso pasó cuando la guerra.
That happened during the war.
Cuando mi abuelo, no había internet.
In my grandfather's time, there was no internet.
Shortened Phrases
In this usage, you can follow 'cuando' directly with a noun (like 'niño') without needing to say 'when I was a...'. It makes you sound very natural and fluent.
Overusing 'ser'
Mistake: “Cuando yo era niño...”
Correction: Mientras 'Cuando yo era niño' is 100% correct, try saying 'Cuando niño' to sound more like a native speaker in casual conversation.
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