How do you say "My house was small"

Question

Hi (Hola),

I want to say the following translation in Spanish, but I am confused as whether it is ser/estar when describing place of residence.

Intended meaning: My house was small My assumption: Mi casa estuvo pequeña

Thanks

Answer 1

Look here: Basic ser vs. estar.

One example it gives of the use of ser is:

Yo soy alta, morena, y delgada.
(I am tall, dark-skinned, and thin.)

Does that seem similar to the description "My house is small"? I think it does.

Answer 2

Mi casa estuvo pequeña

Mmmm- pequeña is a characteristic, so definitely ser- it is not going to be in the state of being small.

Personally I would normally pick "era" because the house if still standing, probably still is small. If you are talking about before you tore it down and built a new one, or that you added on to it extensively and wanted to emphasize that it is no more, maybe fue. But I would think normally era. My house used to be small.

Please wait for comments, these are just my opinions, and fue vs. era is still particularly hard for me.

"Ser" because it is a characteristic and imperfect tense because it's a description. Bingo! :) - Daniela2041, Jun 4, 2016

Thanks, Daniela. :) - bosquederoble, Jun 4, 2016

You're welcome. - Daniela2041, Jun 4, 2016