Learn Spanish (Spain): Antiguamente la gente lavaba la ropa en el río. - In the old days people washed clothes in the river.

Antiguamente la gente lavaba la ropa en el río.

In the old days people washed clothes in the river.

Breakdown of Antiguamente la gente lavaba la ropa en el río.

in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)

Questions & Answers about Antiguamente la gente lavaba la ropa en el río.

Why is the verb lavaba in the singular when the English translation says "people"?

In Spanish, the word for people, la gente, is a singular feminine noun. Because of this, it always takes a third-person singular verb, even though it refers to a group of individuals.

Why is lavaba in the imperfect tense rather than the preterite (lavó)?

The imperfect tense is used here because it describes a habitual, repeated action in the past. The adverb antiguamente (in the old days) sets the context that this was a customary practice over an unspecified period, rather than a single completed event.

The English translation says "clothes" in the plural. Why does the Spanish use the singular la ropa?

In Spanish, la ropa is almost always used as a singular collective noun to refer to clothing in general. While the plural las ropas exists, it usually refers to specific historical garments, vestments, or robes rather than everyday laundry.

How would this sentence change if we used the passive voice to say "In the old days, clothes were washed in the river"?

You would drop la gente and use the passive se construction, which is very common in Spanish: Antiguamente se lavaba la ropa en el río. This is frequently preferred to describe a general action without specifying exactly who did it.