How to Say "was happening" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “was happening” is “pasaba” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
English → SpanishB1
VerbB1
events/situations
Examples
Mientras yo cocinaba, no sabía lo que pasaba afuera.
While I was cooking, I didn't know what was happening outside.
Él no entendía qué pasaba con la computadora.
He didn't understand what was going on with the computer.
En la ciudad, la vida pasaba lentamente.
In the city, life was passing slowly.
Pasaba vs. Pasó
Use 'pasaba' when setting the scene (what was going on). Use 'pasó' (preterite) for a single event that happened and finished.
Related Translations
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