Recuerdo mi infancia cuando camino en la calle.

I remember my childhood when I walk on the street.

Breakdown of Recuerdo mi infancia cuando camino en la calle.

• yo: I
• mi: my
• la calle: the street
• caminar: to walk
• en: on
• cuando: when
• recordar: to remember
• la infancia: the childhood

Questions & Answers about Recuerdo mi infancia cuando camino en la calle.

Why is the verb camino in the present tense if the sentence refers to remembering the past?

In Spanish, it’s common to use the present tense (known as the “presente histórico” or “presente habitual”) to describe a habitual action that triggers a memory. So camino indicates that whenever you walk on the street (present habit), you remember your childhood. It’s not describing a past event directly, but rather a recurring event in your life.

Why do we say Recuerdo mi infancia instead of Me acuerdo mi infancia?

In Spanish, recordar is a transitive verb that takes a direct object (in this case mi infancia). Acordarse, on the other hand, is pronominal and usually requires the preposition de, as in me acuerdo de mi infancia. So if you want to use acordarse, it would be Me acuerdo de mi infancia (with de).

Why is it en la calle rather than por la calle?

En la calle focuses on being or walking on/in the street, while por la calle emphasizes moving along or through the street. Both are correct and can be used, but en la calle might suggest the specific location of the action, while por la calle would highlight the route or path.

Could we say something like cuando estoy caminando en la calle instead of cuando camino en la calle?

Yes, you could say cuando estoy caminando en la calle, but that continuous form adds the nuance that the memory occurs while you are in the middle of walking. Using the simple present camino places more emphasis on a habitual or general action rather than the ongoing process at a specific moment.

Is Recuerdo mi infancia cuando camino en la calle a set phrase?

No, it’s not a set phrase. It’s simply a sentence structure showing that the speaker’s act of walking triggers memories of childhood. You could replace camino en la calle with other triggers (for example, cuando escucho cierta música) to form similar sentences, depending on what reminds you of your past.