used to be meaning in Chinese
过去的（生活）
曾经……
Examples
- You used to be such a polite little boy .
你以前一直是个懂规矩的小伙子。 - It used to be difficult to get drinking water here .
过去这里吃水很困难。 - The place used to be a stretch of barren land ...
早先这里是一片不毛之地。 - The area used to be struck by raging sandstorms ...
这个地区过去风沙猖獗。 - London used to be a city known for its "black fogs. "
伦敦的“黑雾”一向闻名。