आते थे

used to come

→ आना
phrase Rare #7,540
used to come Used for a repeated or customary action in the past. The verb can also mean “reach” or “come from,” depending on context.
HI: वे हर रविवार यहाँ आते थे।
EN: They used to come here every Sunday.

आप दोनों बचपन में भी यहाँ आते थे?

Did you both come here even when you were children?

— Three of Us (2023)

शब्द और कहाँ से आते थे?

And where did the words come from?

तो मैं इन सभी बड़े अमीरों पर जो वहाँ आते थे नजर रखता.

So I would keep an eye on all those rich people who came there.

— The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

लेकिन किताबों के शब्द कहीं से नहीं आते थे।

But the words in the books didn’t come from anywhere.