was crying, cried, used to cry
I asked her why she was crying.
Ella le preguntó por qué lloraba.
She asked him why he was crying.
Estaba mamá, mamá que lloraba, pobrecita.
Mom was there, Mom was crying, poor thing.
— Divorzio all'italiana (1961)
Ella lloraba y lloraba, pero nadie venía a consolarla.
She cried and cried, but no one came to comfort her.
Ziri lloraba.
Ziri was crying.