Past Habits with Used To and Would

What you’ll learn

Describe former states and repeated past actions.

ពិពណ៌នាទម្លាប់ និងសភាពពីមុនដោយ used to និង would។

Meaning and use

Used to describes a past habit or state that is no longer true. Would can describe repeated past actions once the past context is clear, but normally not past states. For one completed event, use the past simple. After did or did not, use use to in standard edited writing.

Used to បង្ហាញទម្លាប់ ឬសភាពពីមុនដែលឥឡូវលែងមាន។ Would អាចពិពណ៌នាសកម្មភាពកើតឡើងដដែលៗក្នុងអតីតកាល ប៉ុន្តែមិនប្រើសម្រាប់សភាពទូទៅទេ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Former habit or state	used to + base verb
Repeated action in a past context	When we were children, we would play outside.

Examples

1. I used to live near the river.

   ពីមុន ខ្ញុំរស់នៅជិតទន្លេ។

2. She used to cycle to school.

   ពីមុន នាងជិះកង់ទៅសាលា។

3. Every holiday, we would visit our grandparents.

   រាល់ថ្ងៃឈប់សម្រាកកាលពីមុន យើងតែងទៅលេងជីដូនជីតា។

4. I did not use to drink coffee.

   ពីមុន ខ្ញុំមិនធ្លាប់មានទម្លាប់ផឹកកាហ្វេទេ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Did you use to play football after school?

Maly: Yes. We would play until it got dark.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
I used to visited my aunt.	I used to visit my aunt.	Used to takes the base verb.
I would own a bicycle when I was ten. (past state)	I used to own a bicycle when I was ten.	For this former state, use used to or the past simple.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: She used to ___ (be) shy.
2. Choose for one event: Yesterday I (used to lose / lost) my keys.
3. Make a question: You used to study here.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. be

   Use the base verb after used to.

2. lost

   A single completed event needs the past simple.

3. Did you use to study here?

   Did carries the past marking; use the base spelling use.

Quick recap

• Former habit or state: used to + base verb
• Repeated action in a past context: When we were children, we would play outside.