<p>I'm not a native speaker but I have seen it as:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我小时候...</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-21T14:08:04.480Z
我小时候 means you were younger that 10 years old, more or less.
http8086
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-13T01:27:27.010Z
2012-02-13T01:27:27.010Z
dusan
<p>You can say:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ul>
  <li>当我年轻的时候，...</li>
  <li>我年轻的时候，...</li>
  <li>年轻的时候，...</li>
  <li>年轻时，...</li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>In these cases, you are talking about the time when you were a young man (<strong>note</strong>: not a kid nor a teenager). Perhaps you are now in your 40s/50s/60s etc, and you are talking about your 20s/30s.</p>

<p>You could also say:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ul>
  <li>当我年幼的时候，...</li>
  <li>当我还小的时候,...</li>
  <li>我年幼的时候，...</li>
  <li>我还小的时候，...</li>
  <li>我小时候，...</li>
  <li>小时候，...</li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>In these cases, you are talking about the time when you were a kid or teenager.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-07T10:13:43.900Z
not sure what the deal is with all the pedanticisms... 小时候 will work just fine.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-26T13:56:03.253Z
@tao ,年幼 is more of written Chinese.
zsf222
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-14T03:04:39.087Z
In spoken Chinese, just say 我小时候.
Dante WWWW
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-10T05:49:15.757Z
Can one use 年幼?
tao
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-13T03:46:51.050Z
2012-02-13T10:30:49.310Z
2012-02-13T10:30:49.310Z
Huang
<p>What is the usual way to say something along the lines of "when I was young, petrol was cheap" or "when I was a kid, my family lived in Mexico". </p>

<word-requests>
Correct way to say "when I was young..."
# Correct way to say "when I was young..."

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-02-13)

What is the usual way to say something along the lines of "when I was young, petrol was cheap" or "when I was a kid, my family lived in Mexico".

**Tags:** word-requests

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-02-13. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

You can say:

> * 当我年轻的时候，...
> * 我年轻的时候，...
> * 年轻的时候，...
> * 年轻时，...

In these cases, you are talking about the time when you were a young man (**note**: not a kid nor a teenager). Perhaps you are now in your 40s/50s/60s etc, and you are talking about your 20s/30s.

You could also say:

> * 当我年幼的时候，...
> * 当我还小的时候,...
> * 我年幼的时候，...
> * 我还小的时候，...
> * 我小时候，...
> * 小时候，...

In these cases, you are talking about the time when you were a kid or teenager.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: In spoken Chinese, just say 我小时候.  
> **username_7**: Can one use 年幼?  
> **username_4**: not sure what the deal is with all the pedanticisms... 小时候 will work just fine.  
> **username_5**: @tao ,年幼 is more of written Chinese.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-02-13. Score: 2

I'm not a native speaker but I have seen it as:

> 我小时候...

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: 我小时候 means you were younger that 10 years old, more or less.  

---

