me compraba un traje nuevo

I was buying myself a new suit

me compraba un traje nuevo

phrase

1. (used to express a specific action in the past; first person singular)

a. I was buying myself a new suit

¿Qué hacías en la tienda? - Me compraba un traje nuevo. ¿Por qué?

What were you doing at the store? - I was buying myself a new suit. Why?

b. I was buying myself a new dress

Ayer, mientras me compraba un traje nuevo, me acordé de que no le he devuelto a Ana el vestido rojo que me prestó.

Yesterday, while I was buying myself a new dress, I remembered that I still haven't given Ana back the red one she lent me.

2. (used to express a specific action in the past; third person singular)

a. he was buying me a new suit

(masculine)

Qué raro que Paul estuviera en el centro comercial. Él detesta ir de compras. - Bueno, es que me compraba un vestido nuevo que le pedí.

It's weird that Paul was at the mall. He hates shopping. - Well, it's because he was buying me a new suit I asked him for.

b. she was buying me a new suit

(feminine)

Me encontré a mi esposa en una tienda mientras me compraba un traje nuevo para mi cumpleaños.

I ran into my wife at a store while she was buying me a new suit for my birthday.

c. he was buying me a new dress

(masculine)

Mi papá estaba en la boutique de Claudia ayer. Me compraba un traje nuevo para mi baile de graduación.

My dad was at Claudia's boutique yesterday. He was buying me a new dress for my prom dance.

d. she was buying me a new dress

(feminine)

Tu mamá estaba en el outlet ayer. - Sí. Me compraba un traje nuevo mientras yo veía carteras.

Your mom was at the outlet yesterday. - Yeah, she was buying me a new dress while I looked at purses.

3.

(formal)

(used to express a habitual action in the past; first person singular)

a. I would buy myself a new suit

Tú eras un despilfarrador cuando éramos jóvenes. - Lo sé. Me compraba un traje nuevo cada dos meses.

You were a spendthrift when we were young. - I know. I would buy myself a new suit every other month.

b. I would buy myself a new dress

Cuando vivía en Colombia, me compraba un traje nuevo todas las semanas porque los precios allá eran muy buenos.

When I lived in Colombia, I would buy myself a new dress every week because the prices over there were so good.

4. (used to express a habitual action in the past; third person singular)

a. he would buy me a new suit

(masculine)

Está claro que mi papá me trataba diferente que a los otros empleados en su firma. Por ejemplo, me compraba un traje nuevo cada vez que cerraba un trato con un cliente.

It's clear that my dad treated me differently than he did the other employees at his firm. - For example, he would buy me a new suit every time I closed a deal with a client.

b. she would buy me a new suit

(feminine)

A Clara no le gustaba como me vestía, así que me compraba un traje nuevo cada vez que iba de compras.

Clara didn't like the way I dressed, so she would buy me a new suit every time she went shopping.

c. he would buy me a new dress

(masculine)

Di lo que quieras de Frank, pero de todos mis ex, era el que más me consentía. Me compraba un traje nuevo cada vez que teníamos una fiesta, por ejemplo.

Say what you want about Frank, but out of all my exes, he was the one who pampered me the most. He would buy me a new dress every time we had a party, for example.

d. she would buy me a new dress

(feminine)

Cuando se acababa de casar con mi papá, mi madrastra quería caerme bien, así que me compraba un traje nuevo cada vez que se lo pedía.

When she had just married my dad, my stepmother wanted me to like her, so she would buy me a new dress every time I asked her.