How to Describe Your Childhood in Spanish
Have you ever had an opportunity to talk about your childhood in Spanish? When you travel a lot and establish friendships with people in other countries, you tend to share your most tender memories and compare and contrast your experiences.
Talking about childhood in Spanish requires the use of Spanish past tenses and specific vocabulary. Some useful time expressions exist that give time frames to your childhood memories.
Read this article to learn it all. I’ll show you verbs, adjectives, and other words to describe childhood. You’ll get a quick refresher on Spanish past tenses and become an expert on describing what you used to do as a child and what you were like back then.
Let’s learn how to talk about your childhood in Spanish!
Basic Words to Describe Your Childhood in Spanish
Specific words are associated with this early period of your life. Talking about childhood in Spanish requires knowing certain verbs and how to conjugate and use them.
Verbs to Describe Your Childhood in Spanish
Think about your childhood and try to describe it from the moment you were born. If I asked you about it, you’d probably recall when you were born, where you grew up, and where you lived, what you used to play, who was your best friend, and where you used to spend your vacation.
Let me show you some verbs to help you to talk about these memories from your childhood in Spanish.
English | Spanish |
to be | ser |
to be born | nacer |
to be raised, to grow up | criarse |
to drink | beber |
to eat | comer |
to grow, to grow up | crecer |
to laugh | reírse |
to live | vivir |
to play | jugar |
to sleep | dormir |
to spend | pasar |
use to | soler |
You probably already realized that knowing the past tenses is crucial for using the above verbs in the correct way. If you want to talk about childhood in Spanish, you need to know how to use and differentiate Spanish past tenses: the preterite and the imperfect.
If you need a quick refreshment before continuing, check out Preterite vs Imperfect: A Beginner’s Guide to the Past Tense in Spanish.
Example Sentences in Spanish
Nací en primavera.
I was born in the spring.
Crecí muy feliz.
I grew up very happy.
Vivía cerca del mar.
I used to live near the sea.
Juan fue mi mejor amigo.
Juan was my best friend.
Pasaba las vacaciones con mis abuelos.
I spent vacations with my grandparents.
Solía levantarme muy temprano.
I used to wake up very early.
Jugaba con las muñecas.
I played with dolls.
Dormía hasta el mediodía.
I slept until noon.
Comía muchos dulces.
I ate lots of sweets.
Adjectives to Describe Your Childhood in Spanish
Someone may ask you what you were like as a child. What would you answer? Were you a shy kid or a wild one?
These adjectives are useful to talk about yourself during your childhood in Spanish.
English | Spanish |
foolish | tonto,-a |
spoiled | consentido/a, mimado/a |
imaginative | imaginativo/a |
sociable | sociable |
shy | tímido/a |
rude | maleducado/a |
well-behaved | bien portado/a |
brave | valiente |
adventurous | aventurero/a |
explorer | explorador/a |
Example Sentences in Spanish
Cuando era niño, era un poco tonto y maleducado.
When I was a kid, I was a bit silly and rude.
Mi primo siempre era el más aventurero de toda la pandilla.
My cousin was always the most adventurous of the whole gang.
Antes yo era bien portada y tímida.
I used to be well-behaved and shy.
Check out A Comprehensive Guide To Spanish Adjectives for more fun with describing words.
Useful Time Expressions to Talk about Your Childhood in Spanish
Of course, verbs and adjectives are just the skeleton of a sentence. You’ll need other expressions and words to describe childhood in Spanish. Let me show you some of them that come in handy.
English | Spanish |
a long time ago | hace mucho tiempo |
as a child | de niño |
at that time | en aquel tiempo |
back then | en aquellos tiempos |
I remember when | recuerdo cuando |
when i was a child | cuando era niño |
when i was x years old | cuando yo tenía x años |
Example Sentences in Spanish
Hace mucho tiempo vivía en las montañas con mis papás y abuelos.
A long time ago, I lived in the mountains with my parents and grandparents.
De niño, no me gustaba comer verduras.
As a child, I didn’t like to eat vegetables.
En aquel tiempo no teníamos tantos juguetes como los niños de hoy.
At that time we didn’t have as many toys as children do today.
Recuerdo cuando mi papá me llevó al circo por primera vez.
I remember when my dad took me to the circus for the first time.
Cuando era niño, me encantaba correr bajo la lluvia.
As a child, I loved to run in the rain.
Cuando tenía cinco años, mi mamá era el centro de mi mundo.
When I was five years old, my mom was the center of my world.
To learn more time expressions, read ‘Anoche’ in Spanish and Other Useful Spanish Terms for the Past.
Talking about Childhood in Spanish – Sample Conversation
Check out these sentences and questions about childhood in Spanish in the context of a conversation.
-¿Cómo fue tu infancia?
-Mi infancia fue muy feliz e inocente. Nací en un pequeño pueblito a la orilla del mar y pasaba todos los días en la playa. Recuerdo que hacíamos castillos de arena y los decorábamos con conchitas.
-What was your childhood like?
-My childhood was very happy and innocent. I was born in a small town by the sea and spent every day at the beach. I remember we used to make sandcastles and decorate them with shells.
-¿Quién fue tu mejor amigo de la infancia?
-Tenía muchos pero, Pedro, el hijo de los vecinos fue con quien más jugaba. Pasábamos días enteros en la casa del uno o del otro y jugábamos a los ladrones y policías.
-Who was your best childhood friend?
-I had many, but Pedro, the neighbors’ son, was the one I played with the most. We would spend days at a time at each other’s houses and play thieves and policemen.
-¿Cuál fue tu juguete favorito de tu niñez?
-El Halcón Milenario de Han Solo. Mi papá cruzó la frontera para comprármelo y todos mis amigos del barrio me lo envidiaban. En aquel tiempo no teníamos juguetes de Star Wars en las tiendas de México.
-What was your favorite toy from your childhood?
-Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon. My dad went across the border to buy it for me and all my friends in the neighborhood envied me. At that time we didn’t have Star Wars toys in the stores in Mexico.
-¿Cómo eras de niña?
-Bueno, era un poco tímida con los adultos pero con mis amigos era más aventurera. Vestía ropa de niño y siempre tenía las rodillas raspadas.
-What were you like as a child?
-Well, I was a little shy with adults but with my friends, I was more adventurous. I wore shorts and always had scraped knees.
Now try answering these questions about Spanish yourself. Remember to use verbs, adjectives, and time expressions that you learned here—and the correct past tense.
Practice Talking About Your Childhood in Spanish
Now that you know how to describe your childhood in Spanish, it’s time to use it in a real-life conversation!
Did you know that, according to CNN, 41 million native Spanish speakers in the US speak Spanish in their homes? It would be interesting to share your memories about your childhood in Spanish and compare it to theirs.
Start working on your conversational skills today. Sign up for a free trial class at Homeschool Spanish Academy! It’s fun and perfect even for beginners. All of our teachers speak English and are trained to get you to speak Spanish from your first class. Don’t be shy; jump right in and use Spanish words to describe childhood that you learned today in a 1-to-1 conversation! Check out our affordable pricing and flexible programs!
Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these
“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”
– Cindy D, Parent of 3
“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”
– Erica P. Parent of 1
“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”
– Sharon K, Parent of 3
Ready to learn more Spanish vocabulary? Check these out!
- Top 20 Guatemalan Words and Slang Expressions You Should Know
- Bien vs Bueno: How Good is Your Spanish?
- How to Talk About Learning a Language in Spanish
- Señora vs Señorita: Who Is She?
- Learn These 20 Types of Fish in Spanish [+ More Vocab]
- 200+ Beginner Spanish Vocabulary Words PDF: Learn Spanish Fast!
- The Most Extensive Guide Ever to House Vocabulary in Spanish
- ‘How Much Is It?’ in Spanish: A Guide to Travel and Shopping
- All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish - January 8, 2025
- The Ultimate Guide to the Differences Between ‘Pero’ and ‘Sino’ in Spanish - December 26, 2024
- Common Irregular Informal Commands in Spanish - November 29, 2024