Poder and Querer imperfect and preterite definitions?

Question

I'm confused on how to know which one to use. For these examples can you explain to me which one to use and why? For poder: I was able to go to the movies. For querer: My friend asked me to go to the movies but i didn't want to go. (this can be refused or didn't want to so if there was a blank in spanish like My friend asked me to go to the movies ____ what would the answer be and why?)

Can you just explain. I read some of people's answers already but i still don't understand.

Hello, welcome to the forum! - rac1, Dec 3, 2012

Answer 1

This is difficult to answer because what determines the use of imperfecto and pretérito is not always one simple reason, but it depends on what was happening at the time, the relationship between two or more past actions, and the nuance that the speaker wants to impart.

Examples: "No pude ir al cine" with no context or "No podía ir al cine cuando me invitaste" with context. Or "el año pasado no podía al cine por tanto trabajo que tenía."

You have provided some context in the second, so you could say "Un amigo mío me invitó al cine pero no quería ir." If you want to emphasise that you didn´t want to go at that very moment (maybe later you changed your mind), then you could use pretérito "no quise ir."

Answer 2

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I know what you're talking about-- verbs that change their meaning depending on whether they're in the preterite or imperfect.

poder (to be able):

• Preterite: Usually means "managed to" or "was able to." Pudo salvar el gato. (He was able to save the cat.) No pudo salvar el gato. (He couldn't save the cat.)

• Imperfect: Often used to mean "could" to refer to what might happen in the present. ¿Podías ayudarme? (Could you help me?)

In addition to the uses listed here, poder also can be used with the normal distinctions between the preterite and imperfect. No pudo salir a las dos. (He couldn't leave at 2.) Muchas veces no podía salir. (He frequently couldn't leave.)

querer (to want):

• Preterite: In the affirmative form, can express (but doesn't always) the idea that someone tried or wanted to do something but didn't; in negative form, it usually means "refused." Quise comer un taco. (I wanted to eat a taco, but didn't.) No quise comer un taco. (I refused to eat a taco.) The preterite of querer also can indicate the person wanted to do something and did. Thus, in some contexts, quise comer un taco could mean "I wanted to eat a taco, and I did." Generally, the imperfect form of querer is less ambiguous for indicating that someone wanted to do something.

• Imperfect: Expresses the idea that a person wanted to do something without indicating whether the person did it or not. Quería comer un taco. (I wanted to eat a taco.) No quería comer un taco. (I didn't want to eat a taco.) Note that out of context, neither sentence indicates whether the speaker actually ate a taco.