To talk about what you used to do or how things used to be, you can combine the word cuando (when) with the imperfect tense. This is a great way to describe past routines and traditional ways of living.
| When we lived in the countryside, we grew vegetables on the farm. | Cuando vivíamos en el campo, cultivábamos verduras en la granja. |
Sentence order
When describing past habits, you will typically use two verbs in the imperfect tense. The part of the sentence with cuando can go at the beginning (often followed by a comma) or right in the middle.
| When it rained, the horses did not work in the field. | Cuando llovía, los caballos no trabajaban en el campo. |
| The farmer used his horse when he didn't have a cart. | El campesino usaba su caballo cuando no tenía carreta. |
Setting the scene
Cuando is incredibly useful for describing background conditions in the past, such as the weather, the time of day, or general situations. You will frequently see it paired with verbs like ser or hacer.
| When it was cold, we prepared enough firewood for the fire. | Cuando hacía frío, preparábamos suficiente leña para el fuego. |
| When the night was dark, we used candles. | Cuando la noche era oscura, usábamos velas. |
You can also use this exact same structure to ask questions about other people's past routines:
| Why did you use candles when you read at night? | ¿Por qué usaban velas cuando leían en la noche? |
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