when we were little

USAGE SUMMARY

"when we were little" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to something that happened in the past, usually when talking about yourself and another person or group of people. For example, "We used to play together when we were little."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

Remember when we were little?

The New York Times - Travel

When we were little, it was great.

The Guardian - Film

"Nobody cared about race when we were little," Johanna said.

The New York Times

1 My sisters and me when we were little - about four, five, seven and eight.

The Guardian - Books

Eliza: When we were little, all four of us would pile into one canoe.

The New York Times - Travel

When we were little, Sam gave us a comprehensive education in blackjack, which he called pontoon.

The Guardian - Books

When we were little, we used to do this with them".

The New Yorker

We would all sit around the fireplace, maybe tell old storys when we were little.

The New York Times

Didn't we all want a neighbour like Pippi when we were little?

The Guardian

"When we were little I can remember his playing it over and over and over.

The New York Times

"We used to come here when we were little," they tell their children.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "when we were little" to evoke nostalgia or contrast past experiences with the present.

Common error

Ensure the context makes it clear who "we" refers to, especially if the audience isn't familiar with the individuals involved. If unclear, specify the relationship (e.g., "when my siblings and I were little").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "when we were little" functions as an adverbial clause of time, modifying the main clause by specifying when something occurred. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

88%

Science

6%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "when we were little" functions as a temporal adverbial clause, primarily used to introduce nostalgic recollections of shared childhood experiences. Ludwig AI confirms that it's grammatically correct and frequently employed, particularly in news and media, with a neutral to informal register. While widely acceptable, ensure clarity regarding who "we" refers to. For more formal contexts, alternatives like "during our childhood" may be more appropriate. Remember to use this phrase to effectively evoke nostalgia or draw comparisons between past and present.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

when we were younger

A direct synonym, simply using the comparative form of 'young'.

when we were just kids

Adds emphasis on the innocence and inexperience of childhood.

back when we were kids

Uses more informal language to convey the same meaning.

as children

More concise and formal way of saying the same thing.

in our childhood

Focuses on the period of childhood rather than a specific memory.

during our youth

Emphasizes the youthful period, sounding slightly more formal.

in our early years

Focuses on the initial phase of life.

in our younger days

Highlights a period of earlier life, applicable even beyond childhood.

during our formative years

Highlights the developmental aspect of childhood.

in our infancy

Focuses more specifically on the earliest stage of childhood.

FAQs

How can I use "when we were little" in a sentence?

You can use "when we were little" to introduce a memory or anecdote about your childhood with another person or group. For example, "When we were little, we used to build forts in the woods."

What's a more formal alternative to "when we were little"?

More formal alternatives include "during our childhood" or "in our early years", which are suitable for academic or professional contexts.

What can I say instead of "when we were little" to sound more informal?

To sound more informal, you could say "back when we were kids" or "when we were younger."

Is "when we were little" grammatically correct?

Yes, "when we were little" is grammatically correct and commonly used in English to refer to a past time during childhood.