confusion - Preterito y imperfecto

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jenniqua

#18107 Tue, 10 Jul 07 09:00 PM

Hey

I´ve been studying spanish for almost 3 years now but i am still very confused when to use preterite tense and when to use the imperfect.

do u use imperfect when you are talking about something that happened very long ago only? el preterito is when you say u have done something como por ejemplo tu comistes un bocadillo ayer. when would you say tu comias un bocadillo? what is the difference between the two? is imperfecto describing what you USED to do? como, tenia 17 anos pero ahora tengo 18 o me gustaba los churros cuando estaba mas joven. please help me!

jenniqua

Joined on 10-07-2007

Usuario Nuevo (05)

Isabel

#18124 Thu, 12 Jul 07 10:57 AM

Hey,

you are right with the part: imperfecto is describing what you used to do, and pretérito what you have done, tú comiste (without final s). It may help if you ask yourself: how was it, what was there? = you use imperfecto (todo estaba tranquilo, llovía, hacía calor, yo era muy pequeno) and when you ask yourself: what happened? = you use pretérito (entró el hombre, dejó de llover, cumplí 20 anos), a change has arrived.
You would use tú comías un bocadillo when this would be only a background information to other things that happened, p.eg. cuando te vi (when I saw you).
To use imperfect, it mustn't have happened very long ago.
This very roughly. Hope I could help a bit.

Isabel

Joined on 24-09-2006

Usuario Regular (148)

Malta

#18527 Sun, 19 Aug 07 11:30 AM

So I'm not the only one who makes confusion with these two tenses even though I have been studying spanish for a period of time. If I may ask something,in the sentence:

I NEEDED THE BOOKS - do we use the imprefect or the preterite, because the dictionary tells me one thing and the site I visit for studying tells me another thing

Malta

Joined on 28-08-2006

Miembro Pleno (552)

Pucca

#18530 Mon, 20 Aug 07 02:50 AM

I needed the books - I would use the imperfect to translate this sentence. "Necesitaba los libros" sounds much better than "necesité los libros" to my ears. Maybe you could provide us with more context? :)

Pucca

Joined on 22-10-2006

Miembro Senior (1,620)

¿Alguna vez has tenido un sueño tan real que al despertarte no sabías qué creer?

Malta

#18531 Mon, 20 Aug 07 08:22 AM

No, I'm sorry, but the exercise comprised of sentences for translation, so I don't have any context. But which is the right one and why?

Malta

Pucca

#18532 Mon, 20 Aug 07 01:50 PM

With no further context, I have to say that both are correct. However, the imperfect way is more used than the other.

You will hear "necesité" very few. "Necesitaba" is much more used here in Spain. Perhaps it is more used in South America.

So, it might depend on what Spanish you are learning. :)

Pucca

Malta

#18539 Tue, 21 Aug 07 07:15 AM

I still have some doubts though. The imperfect isn't supposed to be used for something that doesn't have an end (Estudiaba con Juan), while the preterite is used for something that does have an implied ending (Estudie' con Juan por tres horas). So why use the imperfect? I think that the sentence does have an end.

I don't know I'm really confused.

Malta

#18540 Tue, 21 Aug 07 07:16 AM

I don't know I'm really confused.

Malta

Pucca

#18545 Tue, 21 Aug 07 02:38 PM

Estudiaba con Juan - I don't think this action is still being in process. :)
   * Por aquel entonces, estudiaba con Juan.     --> You can talk about the past using the imperfect. Remember that when we describe something, we use the imperfect.
   * Mientras estudiaba con Juan, mi madre llamó al timbre. --> An interrupted action.
   * Yo estudiaba con Juan. --> As I said before, you can be referring to the past, to an ended process with this.
   * I needed the books. --> (Necesitaba los libros) Is an ended action, I would say you are describing something, an action.

Estudié con Juan - Clear that the process is ended.
   * Estudié con Juan durante tres horas. --> You finished studying with him.
   * Estudié con Juan hace cinco años.
   * Estudié con Juan en la facultad.


Can you see any diference, Malta? When you use the perfect tense you need to specify when it was more or less. However, if you use the imperfect, you are just describing an action. So, that action should be ended before you can describe it, shouldn't it?

Just hope it helps!

Okay, all this from my point of view. Others might not agree with this!

Pucca

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