Soy mitad del hombre que solía ser

Question

I'm half the man I used to be. Is this right? Solía./ Funny I think of soler as "to usually".

past : to usually have been. lol.

It works though right?

Gracias.

S T P - Beatrice-Codder, May 30, 2011

Good idea. - Beatrice-Codder, May 30, 2011

Answer 1

I would use era.

Soy mitad del hombre que (yo) era.

Aunque la frase original no tiene nada de malo. - chileno, May 30, 2011

The phrase, how Jeezle put it, would say: "I'm half the man I usually was." If he wants it to be closest to what the phrase is in English, he would need "era", for "used to be." The phrase in English generally goes: I'm half the man I used to be. - Azabache, May 30, 2011

Answer 2

A question for the other Spanish natives around here: Have you guys ever heard that 'mitad' expression used in Spanish? The only thing I'm familiar with that conveys a similar sentiment is "Soy una sombra de lo que fui/del hombre que fui/de lo que era."

Not sure about the "mitad" expression. But the "sombra" expression can equally be translated into an English expression. "I'm a shadow of my former self." - gintar77, May 30, 2011

Answer 3

Soy la mitad del hombre que solía ser

Answer 4

We use to say:

No soy ni la sombra de lo que fui.

No soy ni la sombra de lo que era antes.

But if you are searching for an almost literal translation, I would say:

No soy ni la mitad del hombre que solía ser. (era, fui).

Answer 5

Azabache is correct. "Soler" is more like "to be used to" in the sense of being accustomed to something.