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QUICK ANSWER
"Qué hacías cuando eras niño" is a form of "qué hacías cuando eras niño", a phrase which is often translated as "what you used to do when you were a child". "A" is a preposition which is often translated as "to". Learn more about the difference between "qué hacías cuando eras niño" and "a" below.
qué hacías cuando eras niño(
keh
ah
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see
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ahs
kwahn
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doh
eh
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rahs
nee
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nyoh
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
1. (informal) (in statements; singular)
A word or phrase used to refer to the second person informal “tú” by their conjugation or implied context (e.g., How are you?).
a. what you used to do when you were a child
Me pregunto qué hacías cuando eras niño. ¿Eras un niño solitario o te gustaba jugar con otros niños?I wonder what you used to do when you were a child. Were you a lonely child or did you enjoy playing with other children?
b. what you did when you were a child
No sé si recuerdas qué hacías cuando eras niño y un amiguito te quitaba un juguete.I don't know if you remember what you did when you were a child and one of your little friends took a toy from you.
2. (informal) (in questions; singular)
A word or phrase used to refer to the second person informal “tú” by their conjugation or implied context (e.g., How are you?).
a. what did you use to do when you were a child
Ahora sobre todo leo y juego al tenis. - ¿Y qué hacías cuando eras niño?Nowadays, I read and play tennis above all. - And what did you use to do when you were a child?
b. what did you do when you were a child
¿Qué hacías cuando eras niño y te sentías solo? ¿Tenías un amigo imaginario?What did you do when you were a child and you felt lonely? Did you have an imaginary friend?
a, la a(
ah
)A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., He ran through the door.).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Podía respirar a duras penas.He was hardly able to breathe.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
¡A fregar los platos!Go do the dishes!
¡A la cama!Off to bed!
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Me encantaría ganar dinero a espuertas.I would love to earn lots of money.
Llovía a cántaros.It was pouring.
A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
An abbreviation is the shortened form of a word or group of words (e.g., "UFO" = "unidentified flying object"; "p." = "page").
a. A
El circuito transporta una corriente de 1 A.The circuit carries a current of 1 A.
La intensidad de la corriente eléctrica se mide en A.The intensity of an electric current is measured in A.
