All Questions
Tagged with verb-tenses or tiempos-verbales
52 questions
10
votes
1
answer
4k
views
When should you use the preterite or the imperfect to express past time?
This is a canonical question / Esta es una pregunta canónica
There are two ways to express simple past time actions and conditions in Spanish. One is the preterite,
Comí tacos.
I ate tacos.
...
- 1,574
21
votes
6
answers
40k
views
Is "me gustas" ever correct, e.g. to say "I like you"?
We have been taught that 'gustar' is an unusual verb and that you only ever use 'gusta' or 'gustan' depending on whether you like singular or plural things.
Would you use 'me gustas' to say 'I like ...
- 329
18
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Difference between -iera and -iese ending of the imperfect subjunctive
There are two forms of the imperfect subjunctve in use, for example,
pudiera, pudieras, pudiera, pudiéramos, pudierais, pudieran
and
pudiese, pudieses, pudiese, pudiésemos, pudieseis, pudiesen
I ...
- 455
16
votes
6
answers
3k
views
“Habría” or “Hubiera”: ¿Si lo hubieran anotado, después no les "hubiera" o "habría" costado tanto recordarlo?
Dada la siguiente oración:
Si lo hubieran anotado, después no les hubiera (habría) costado tanto recordarlo.
se ve que la primera aparición de hubieran está bien utilizada, pero a veces la segunda ...
- 6,221
14
votes
7
answers
28k
views
"s" final en tiempo pretérito indefinido: -aste(s), -iste(s)
Español
La segunda persona singular del pretérito indefinido generalmente termina en "-aste" o "-iste". En muchos lugares, la gente agrega una "s" final a estas palabras (por ejemplo, hablastes en ...
- 17.8k
7
votes
2
answers
768
views
When is it OK to use a subjunctive form instead of the conditional?
My question is a follow-up of this question.
So, with the following sentence, we have querer conjugated in the subjunctive, imperfect past:
Quisiera algo de agua, por favor. | I would like some ...
- 1,881
3
votes
1
answer
259
views
¿Cuál es el papel del infinitivo en una frase con pasiva refleja?
En una frase como esta:
Es una nieve que no se ve caer, más bien es una nieve que solo se ve desaparecer.
Supongo que esta construcción es correcta —mi intuición me dice que lo es—. Pero ¿cuál es ...
- 431
2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Duda pretérito perfecto e imperfecto
Estoy corrigiendo un texto sobre una película, tratando de ayudar a un amigo que está aprendiendo español, y tengo una duda sobre el uso del pretérito perfecto e imperfecto. Cuantas más vueltas le doy,...
- 2,041
1
vote
2
answers
737
views
Uso del imperfecto y pretérito
Uso de los verbos en el tiempo pasado.
"Recios golpes sonar en la puerta".
La frase es de Josefa Martin Garcia.
¿Por qué usa el pretérito en vez del imperfecto?
user6979
1
vote
3
answers
174
views
Present perfect progressive I have been doing
I was wondering - what could be the best ways to express actions that began in the past, but are still continuing in the present?
In English you would say "I have been doing this", meaning it was ...
- 2,047
17
votes
4
answers
444
views
Is there any subtle difference between the two forms of the imperfect subjuntive?
The imperfect subjuntive has two forms. For example:
Ojalá viniera.
Ojalá viniese.
I think both has the same meaning. However, is there any subtle difference?
- 1,616
15
votes
5
answers
20k
views
"ir a «infinitive»" vs. future tense
There are two ways to indicate a future action, ir a «infinitive» and the future tense. How do I decide which to use when? Is one form more common when spoken or in writing? Is there a regional ...
- 13k
14
votes
4
answers
82k
views
estuve vs estaba: When do I use imperfect versus preterite for "estar"?
When do I use imperfect versus preterite for estar? I heard there are special rules here.
Cuando estuve en Nueva York yo vi la Estatua de la Libertad
Cuando estaba en Nueva York yo tomaba el ...
- 736
9
votes
2
answers
5k
views
What is the future subjunctive and how was it used?
I've heard that there used to be another tense in Spanish called the "future-subjunctive"
¡A donde fueres, haz lo que vieres!
I've heard the above means in a literal sense, "to where you will go, ...
- 2,791
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Are there three past continuous tenses in Spanish? When can I use Pretérito imperfecto / imperfecto progresivo / indefinido progresivo?
This is a canonical question / Esta es una pregunta canónica
Are there three different past continuous tenses?
When I tried to learn the past continuous, I came across three different tenses that ...
user21623
7
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Does indirect speech in Spanish require changes in tense, mood, etc?
In German you have to use different moods, in English different tenses for verbs to mark indirect speech (speech where you are saying what was said or expressed):
He said that he had painted the ...
- 903
7
votes
2
answers
3k
views
¿Es válido decir "eso pasó ahorita"?
En Medellín (Colombia) se dice mucho "eso pasó ahorita", pero parecería ser que "ahora" o "ahorita" es más de futuro.
Ejemplo:
Ellos vienen ahora.
o
Ellos llegaron ahorita.
No suena bien.
- 203
6
votes
1
answer
2k
views
¿Cuál es el origen de las conjugaciones con "cu-" y "su-" de los verbos "caber" y "saber"?
Partiendo de esta pregunta, en la que se afirma que los verbos saber y caber tienen la misma conjugación porque vienen de verbos muy similares del latín que también se conjugaban igual, me dio por ...
- 77.8k
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
¿Cuál es la explicación del uso del presente simple con función de futuro?
Esto es algo que he estado cuestionándome hace rato.
En Chile es común usar las formas simples con expresiones de este estilo:
— No me gusta el arroz.
— Yo me lo como entonces.
Creo que es ...
- 5,608
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
¿Cuándo se dividieron las tres formas del pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo en dos tiempos diferentes?
Al hilo de lo investigado para ¿Tienen o han tenido algún nombre concreto las dos formas del pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo?, me encuentro con que en el siglo XVIII, allá cuando la ...
- 77.8k
4
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How to say Thanks for confirming? "Gracias por confirmar" or "Gracias por haber confirmado"?
What is the correct translation of "Thanks for confirming"?
Gracias por confirmar (futuro)
or
Gracias por haber confirmado (pasado)
- 73
3
votes
1
answer
165
views
Tiempos verbales
"Pablo Ruiz Picasso, nacido en Málaga en 1881, comenzó a pintar desde muy temprana edad, mostrando ya una habilidad extraordinaria. Después de trabajar en Barcelona, se trasladó a Paris a comienzos de ...
user6979
0
votes
1
answer
281
views
understanding the difference between the subjunctive and the future tense [duplicate]
I'm trying (& struggling) to learn about the subjunctive. I am working through the examples on this web page.
So there is a sentence which translate in English as "When I go to visit you, I will ...
- 759
12
votes
1
answer
840
views
¿Por qué se usa el subjuntivo en "quien fuera uno de los fundadores"?
La portada del libro Guerra de Yugurta (ISBN 968366153X) tiene esta frase:
La Biblioteca Sciptorvm Graecorvm et Romanorvm edita por segunda ocasión la Guerra de Yugurta, los Fragmentos de las ...
- 896
7
votes
3
answers
69k
views
How many verbal forms are there in Spanish? // ¿Cuántas formas verbales hay en español?
This is a canonical question / Esta es una pregunta canónica
It turns out that I am learning English and I have doubts about the verbal forms of that language, but seeing this I realized that I am ...
- 258
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
¿Es "haber de" el origen del futuro simple en español?
En el DPD se explica el uso de haber de + infinitivo cuando se usa para hablar del futuro:
... A veces expresa, simplemente, acción futura: «¡No he de morir hasta enmendarlo!» (Cuzzani Cortés [Arg. ...
- 7,068
6
votes
2
answers
1k
views
¿Sólo estar durmiendo es mejor que estar dormido?
Aun a día de hoy se sigue hablando de aquella famosa anécdota de don Camilo, ya mencionada en este sitio en otra ocasión:
"No es lo mismo estar dormido que estar durmiendo, como no es lo mismo ...
- 77.8k
5
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is Conditional in Spanish a Tense or a Mood?
The Wikipedia article on Spanish verbs (as of 31.01.2016) states that
The Spanish conditional, although semantically expressing the dependency of one action or proposition on another, is generally ...
- 871
5
votes
1
answer
829
views
¿Se debe usar el indicativo o el subjuntivo en esta pregunta?
Hace unos meses, se hizo esta pregunta: ¿Cuál es la palabra más larga en español que no repite ninguna letra?
En un comentario pregunté si sería mejor usar el subjuntivo —es decir, emplear repita en ...
- 896
5
votes
2
answers
278
views
Using past participle vs. the present tense
I came across a sentence that began:
Con esto queda demostrado que . . .
My question is, could one also say
Esto demuestra que . . .
If both are correct (which I suspect they are) then ...
- 51
4
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Spanish names for preterite and imperfect tenses
In school, I learned that the Spanish past tenses were called preterite and imperfect in English, and preterito and imperfecto in Spanish. However, in talking to native speakers I've run across other ...
- 17.8k
4
votes
4
answers
954
views
"Déjame pagar" vs "Deja que pague yo" - are both correct?
I'm studying the subjunctive mood, and I generally understand it, I just think not all of the sentences require it, examples (the first sentences in each pair are the correct ones according to the ...
- 487
3
votes
3
answers
21k
views
"Tuvo" vs "tenía"
What is the difference between 'tuvo' and 'tenía'? Por ejemplo, "Mi mamá fue a la tienda porque tuvo que comprar leche." vs "Mi mamá fue a la tienda porque tenía que comprar leche." Which one is ...
- 133
3
votes
1
answer
2k
views
¿Por qué el verbo "tener" introduce una "i" en ciertas conjugaciones, como "tú tienes" o "ellos tienen"?
Estaba pensando en el verbo tener y su conjugación en el presente del indicativo:
persona
singular
plural
1.ª
tengo
tenemos
2.ª
tienes
tenéis
3.ª
tiene
tienen
Vemos que la 3ª persona del plural, ...
- 34.1k
3
votes
1
answer
233
views
Are the following words indicating mental state ever used in preterit tense?
I'm reading the book Complete Spanish Grammar by Gilda Nissenberg. In page 56 is the following paragraph:
The imperfect is also used to express the past:
To indicate a mental state, a mental action, ...
- 658
3
votes
3
answers
495
views
When do you use the present progressive and the simple present for continuous actions?
I am having trouble differentiating between these two tenses when dealing with continuous actions.
What I have learnt is that the present progressive is used to emphasize that an action is currently ...
- 1,090
3
votes
2
answers
150
views
What is the name of the tense formed with "llevo + gerundio"?
Is this its own tense?
E.g. "Llevo estudiando español desde hace un año."
Is this a tense?
What's its name?
In English it would be like "I have been ..." and it's called the present perfect.
What ...
user14141
3
votes
1
answer
141
views
How is the imperfect of 'acabar de [+ infinitive] translated to English?
Does yo acababa de cenar translate to:
I had just finished eating dinner
or
I was just finishing eating dinner
- 1,881
2
votes
2
answers
353
views
Should I use preterit or imperfect to express something that used to happen repeatedly?
For example, if I wanted to say "They used to travel every day", which would I use:
Ellos viajaron cada día.
Ellos viajaban cada día.
- 121
2
votes
4
answers
727
views
"Today" and "Tomorrow" with the weather
I am trying to say
Today is cold and raining, but thankfully tomorrow is sunny and a little bit cloudy.
Would this be correct?
Hoy es hace frio y llueve, pero por suerte mañana va a hace sol ...
- 63
2
votes
1
answer
2k
views
"Puesto que" + modo verbal
No sé si lo que pienso es correcto.
En el momento siguiente prefirió quedarse en silencio puesto que la
situación hubiera resultado rara.
La gramática española dice que después de "puesto que" ...
- 1,193
2
votes
1
answer
221
views
Different use of tenses in Iberian vs South American (and/or Andean) Spanish
Are the tenses in Iberian vs Central/South American Spanish used differently? I know there are a lot of Spanish variants spoken in the Andes, for example. Do all of them use the present perfect (yo he ...
- 195
2
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Sentence with more than one conjugated verb
I read that when you have two verbs in a sentence the second one should be in the infinitive form.
So I saw the line below (may well be incorrect in which case my question is moot).
So we have ...
- 759
2
votes
1
answer
92
views
Is present progressive considered to be a type of verb phrase?
I am supposed to highlight verb phrases in a book for my Spanish II summer project. Does present progressive count, or is it considered something else, in a different category as verb phrases such as "...
- 123
1
vote
1
answer
2k
views
¿Es "he estado cocinando" un tiempo compuesto, una perífrasis o ambas?
Tengo dificultad clasificando la oración: "Hoy he estado cocinando todo el día."
Por un lado, al consultar la RAE (vease el inciso 3 "verbo auxiliar") la presencia del verbo he + estado indica que ...
- 335
1
vote
1
answer
2k
views
What is "Imperfect 2" tense in subjunctive mood? [duplicate]
While looking at dictionary for conjugation, I saw this strange tense:
conocer – to know, to meet
...
Subjunctive
Imperfect
yo conociera
tú conocieras
Imperfect 2
...
- 1,295
1
vote
1
answer
379
views
What is the meaning of "como" in the 'Como te (alejar) de la orilla, no te traigo mañana'?
Given this sentence:
Como te (alejar) _____ de la orilla, no te traigo mañana.
This sentence is from an exercise and I guess the correct form of the verb "alejar" is "alejas".
On the other hand, ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
89
views
Using the present indicative to communicate about the future
In Spanish and some other languages (e.g. French and German), we can use the present indicative tense plus an appropriate adverb to communicate about the future, for example
Mañana voy al ...
- 10.7k
1
vote
3
answers
491
views
Why subjunctive in 'Me pidió que le *llamara*'?
Me pidió que le llamara
Why is a subjunctive used here -- 'llamara', and not a normal verb?
why does "pedir" denote request and, for instance, "decir" -- not? What determines whether or not a verb is ...
- 45
1
vote
1
answer
100
views
Why is the subjunctive used here? [duplicate]
I was watching the first episode of Élite on Netflix and I came across this exchange:
“No dejan hacer nada que mole.”
“Depende de lo que te mole.”
Why is molar in the subjunctive here?
- 315