"You were invited" use Imperfect or Pretérito

Question

I cannot understand why "Estaba invitato" is used instead of "estuvo invitado", since obviously, the action of invitation was completed in the past.

Answer 1

Either one could be correct depending on what nuance that the speaker was placing on the completion or unimportance of time.

Let's say that the event has not happened yet, but you were invited last week. The invitation is still open. You are still invited. It is not complete or no importance was placed on either the beginning or ending of the action.

If you are referring to just extending the invitation then that action was completed in the past.

I agree, Q :) - FELIZ77, Jan 31, 2012

Answer 2

Because in this case, that is not a passive. It its a condition of things in the past. Therefore the imperfect is used. Were it passive, then it would be the preterite, but it's not so it's the imperfect.

I like the part about it being a condition in the past rather than a completed action. - 0074b507, Jan 31, 2012

While you have made a good case and explained it clearly I disagree with your conclusion :) - FELIZ77, Jan 31, 2012

After further thought You could well be right (correct ):) - FELIZ77, Jan 31, 2012

"estar invitado" is a passive voice. I don't think active/passive voice has anything to do with the tense, right? - JazSpanish, Jan 31, 2012

Answer 3

I hesitantly offer the explanation that if the invitation and the party are both in the past, over and done with, you went , or you didn't go, then it's in the preterite.

If, on the other hand, you were invited, say, to a party this next saturday, then the party-situation is still ongoing. Imperfect until we know what happens next. If so, the main action is yet to come: you turned down the invitation, or you accepted, or you said ' over my dead body' or whatever.. The main action will then be in the preterite, when all is said and done.

I'm afraid this is not a very grammatical explanation.

Answer 4

I have just consulted both the Spanish and English sections of my Oxford Spanish dictionary and in all the examples given where the verb invitar vt is shown and used with the meaning to invite someone to some event the verb is translated using the preterite/simple past

I will include some examples:

1 No lo invitaron a la boda. = They didn't invite him to the wedding

2 Me invitó a cenar (en casa) = She invited me (round) to dinner

3 La invitó a entrar = He invited her in.

4 Lo citaron para una entrevista = He was invited for interview.() (They invited him to attend an interview)

5 Lo invitaron a asistir a la reunión = They invited him to attend the meeting.

I believe that both the imperfect and preterite (simple past) can be used with the verb to invite but there is a subtle difference (nuance) /distinction in the meaning when each is used.

Update I think the key difference is in the use of the English word were + (implied: being) + invited in your example which necesitates the use of the imperfect** as it suggests that the action is ongoing and not yet completed. Estaba/s invitado = You were (being: implied) invited

All the exmples that I have given above have used invitar in the preterite because the action had already taken place/been completed and, with one exception was simply invit''ed'' not was/were invited

I hope this helps

Answer 5

Feliz' comment made me realized that, maybe I was too focused on the action "invitar". What I should have focused on was the "estar."

The reason I asked this question is because I often see "estaba invitado", but I don't think I have seen "estuve invitado" during reading. It is also possible I have not read enough yet .