Question

Actualizado en 1 dic 2021

IMoo

12 may 2016

Inglés (US)

Español (México)

Pregunta de Español (México)

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre estuvo y estaba ?Puedes dar oraciones como ejemplo.

Respuestas

Estefania3

12 may 2016

Inglés (US)
Español (México)

El estuvo aqui - He was here.
El estaba aqui - He was here. Only difference is that estuvo is more common when used as past tense and estaba is used as past tense and where the item or person, etc was placed.

pandayang

12 may 2016

Inglés (US)
Español (México)

estuvo.... is a finished action the past.
estuvo aquí, pero ya se fué.

estaba ... also for past, but it's used in a more descriptive way,as in to set the scene when telling a story.
e.g. el estaba sentado en el sillon, cuando de repente sonó el teléfono

IMoo

12 may 2016

Inglés (US)

Sorry, I still don't get it. So when do I use estaba and when should I use estuvo? Or they both work fine in any situation?

A21K97

12 may 2016

Español (México)

"Estuvo" is used for past actions that you know are finished. "Estaba" is used for past actions that may or may not have finished.
"Ella estuvo viendo televisión"
If she was watching TV but no longer is.
"Ella estaba viendo televisión"
If she was watching TV the last time you checked but you don't know if she still is or not.
I hope it helps.

RickyC99

12 may 2016

Inglés (US)

There are 2 past tenses in Spanish: the preterite and imperfect. The imperfect tense is used for uncompleted actions, interrupted actions, repeated actions in the past, and detailed descriptions of past events.

RickyC99

12 may 2016

Inglés (US)

Here are examples:
Era lluviando ayer cuándo yo rompió mi paraguas
-It was raining yesterday when I broke my umbrella
Lluvió
-It rained

The imperfect tense is more of a "something was happening" tense whilst the preterite is more of a "something happened" tense.

RickyC99

12 may 2016

Inglés (US)

Another example:
Cuándo era un niño, jugaba con mis amigos.
-When I was little, I used to play with my friends

This is for repeated actions that you used to do.

RickyC99

12 may 2016

Inglés (US)

The imperfect tense is also used for example when you have witnessed a crime scene and you're giving a detailed description about the suspect.

El ladrón no tenía pelo y tenía un coche blanco.
-The robber had no hair and a white car.

Livier

12 may 2016

Español (México)
Inglés (US) Casi fluido

"estuvo" is preterit. something that occurred in the past.
"estaba" is imperfect tense. describes past actions that occurred continuously or repeatedly.

fernandazelaya6

26 ago 2019

Español (México)

estuvo y estaba son sinónimos p.e Ella estuvo aquí hace cinco minutos o Ella estaba en el super hace poco.

ST2SPEAK

10 dic 2019

Español (México)

@IMoo ejemplo: Yo "estaba" ahí. El "estuvo" ahí.

vinicioperen

16 dic 2019

Español (México)

estuvo...it means for a long time or many times.i.e el estuvo corriendo 1 hora diaria durante 2 semanas
or just to tell I.e el estuvo en su cuarto to do el dia
ESTABA.we use it when suddenly something happens I.e El estaba en su cuarto cuando yo llegue. example #2 El estaba en su cuarto cuando el terremoto empezo. this are some examples.

melilamperouge

28 dic 2019

Español (México)

@IMoo they work fine in any situation about past tense

melilamperouge

28 dic 2019

Español (México)

@RickyC99 it’s wrong, the right way is
Estaba lloviendo ayer, cuando rompí mi paraguas
It was raining yesterday when I broke my umbrella

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¿Cuál es la diferencia entre estuvo y estaba ?

Preguntas similares

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre estuvo y estaba ?Puedes dar oraciones como ejemplo.

El estuvo aqui - He was here. El estaba aqui - He was here. Only difference is that estuvo is more common when used as past tense and estaba is used as past tense and where the item or person, etc was placed.

estuvo.... is a finished action the past. estuvo aquí, pero ya se fué. estaba ... also for past, but it's used in a more descriptive way,as in to set the scene when telling a story.e.g. el estaba sentado en el sillon, cuando de repente sonó el teléfono

There are 2 past tenses in Spanish: the preterite and imperfect. The imperfect tense is used for uncompleted actions, interrupted actions, repeated actions in the past, and detailed descriptions of past events.

Here are examples:Era lluviando ayer cuándo yo rompió mi paraguas-It was raining yesterday when I broke my umbrellaLluvió-It rainedThe imperfect tense is more of a "something was happening" tense whilst the preterite is more of a "something happened" tense.

Another example: Cuándo era un niño, jugaba con mis amigos.-When I was little, I used to play with my friendsThis is for repeated actions that you used to do.

The imperfect tense is also used for example when you have witnessed a crime scene and you're giving a detailed description about the suspect.El ladrón no tenía pelo y tenía un coche blanco.-The robber had no hair and a white car.

"estuvo" is preterit. something that occurred in the past."estaba" is imperfect tense. describes past actions that occurred continuously or repeatedly.

estuvo y estaba son sinónimos p.e Ella estuvo aquí hace cinco minutos o Ella estaba en el super hace poco.

@IMoo ejemplo: Yo "estaba" ahí. El "estuvo" ahí.

@IMoo they work fine in any situation about past tense

@RickyC99 it’s wrong, the right way is Estaba lloviendo ayer, cuando rompí mi paraguas It was raining yesterday when I broke my umbrella

El estuvo aqui - He was here.
El estaba aqui - He was here. Only difference is that estuvo is more common when used as past tense and estaba is used as past tense and where the item or person, etc was placed.

estuvo.... is a finished action the past.
estuvo aquí, pero ya se fué.

estaba ... also for past, but it's used in a more descriptive way,as in to set the scene when telling a story.
e.g. el estaba sentado en el sillon, cuando de repente sonó el teléfono

Here are examples:
Era lluviando ayer cuándo yo rompió mi paraguas
-It was raining yesterday when I broke my umbrella
Lluvió
-It rained

The imperfect tense is more of a "something was happening" tense whilst the preterite is more of a "something happened" tense.

Another example:
Cuándo era un niño, jugaba con mis amigos.
-When I was little, I used to play with my friends

This is for repeated actions that you used to do.

The imperfect tense is also used for example when you have witnessed a crime scene and you're giving a detailed description about the suspect.

El ladrón no tenía pelo y tenía un coche blanco.
-The robber had no hair and a white car.

"estuvo" is preterit. something that occurred in the past.
"estaba" is imperfect tense. describes past actions that occurred continuously or repeatedly.

@RickyC99 it’s wrong, the right way is
Estaba lloviendo ayer, cuando rompí mi paraguas
It was raining yesterday when I broke my umbrella