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QUICK ANSWER
"Yo era" is a form of "yo era", a phrase which is often translated as "I was". "Cuando era niño" is a phrase which is often translated as "when I was a child". Learn more about the difference between "cuando era niño" and "yo era" below.
cuando era niño(
kwahn
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doh
eh
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rah
nee
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nyoh
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
a. when I was a child
Cuando era niño, mi familia y yo pasábamos los veranos en Mallorca.When I was a child, me and my family spent our summers in Mallorca.
b. as a child
Cuando era niño, yo era mucho más tímido que ahora.As a child, I used to be much shyer than I am now.
a. when he was a child
Los padres de Ignacio se divorciaron cuando él era niño.Ignacio's parents got divorced when he was a child.
b. as a child
Mi hijo, cuando era niño, le tenía miedo a la oscuridad.As a child, my son used to be afraid of the dark.