Yo estuve vs yo estaba

Question

What is the difference between the two forms and how do these sentences differ in what they convey?

Yo estuve ahí

Yo estaba ahí

In the present tense, we would invariably use estar when talking about locations or any temporary/continuous state (yo estoy aquí). So, to me the imperfect (the second sentence with estaba) seems the most appropriate past tense in this context. If that’s true, could you please provide some examples where one would use estar in the preterit tense (estuve)?

Answer 1

Estuve en Madrid ayer.

Estaba en Madrid cuando empezó a nevar.

El año pasado, estuve en París durante dos semanas.

Estaba en París cuando besé a mi novia por primera vez.

You had more luck with the kissing.. - annierats, Mar 15, 2014

Answer 2

To simplify it as much as ppossible:

The imperfect is for description in the past, particularly of non-specific periods.

De niña vivía en Suecia. --As a child I lived in Sweden.

The preterite is used for actions with a distinct start and finish, chains of events, something that occurs even whilst there is a background action.

Estaba sentada en la cocina cuando llegó mi abuelo, gritando _ -I was sitting in the kitchen when my granfather arrived, shouting.

Estuve en la cama todo el día, el sabado pasado.-- I was in bed all day last saturday.

And typically the preterite interrupts the imperfect. Kissing my girlfriend interrupted my being in Paris. My grandfather shouting interrupted my being seated in the kitchen. :) - Tosh, Mar 15, 2014

Or, another way to put it: I...was...in...Paris...for...a...long...time...and Suddenly!, I kissed my girlfriend. I...was...sitting...in...the...kitchen...all...day...and Suddenly!, my grandfather arrived. - Tosh, Mar 15, 2014

These effing grandfathers..Tough luck, really! - annierats, Mar 15, 2014

Answer 3

These is a summary about preterite and imperfect uses. I hope it can help you

IMPERFECTO We use the imperfect tense when referring to actions that took place in the past, either repeatedly or over an extended period of time. It also indicates that an action in the past took place during an unspecified span of time. In fact, the element of time, though certainly in the past, is necessarily not specific for actions expressed in the imperfect.

1. Hora y edad. Eran las 5 de la tarde cuando llegué a casa. Tenía 28 años cuando conocí a mi esposo.

2. Acciones habituales o continuas en el pasado. Cuando era joven viajaba mucho.

3. Describir estados mentales o sensaciones físicas (normalmente imperfecto)They are usually not bound by either time or number of occurrences. These actions describe a state of being, and thus they are continuous. Queríamos mucho a nuestro perro. / Me dolía la cabeza

4. Describir características de gente, cosas o condiciones, cómo eran o estaban o cómo solían ser o estar las cosas o personas. Many times sentences in the imperfect simply describe how things were. The imperfect frequently focuses on background description. It references what things were like, rather than what happened. Descriptions involving a person’s profession or role in the past are in the imperfect, because they refer to what the person “used to” be or do. La casa era grande. Mi amiga era enfermera. La niña era rubia.

5. Reported speech. María: voy a viajar a México (presente) María dijo que iba a viajar a México

Luis: Necesito ayuda (presente) Luis dijo que necesitaba ayuda para construir su casa.

PRETÉRITO
The preterite tense allows you to refer to specific past actions performed at a fixed point in time, a specific number of times, or during an enclosed span of time. The key to the preterite tense is the quantitative nature of the action. If the action is in the past and you can pinpoint when or how many times it occurred— as though there were a frame or box around the action—use the preterite tense.

1. Acciones completadas que sucedieron en un momento específico. Ayer fui a la playa / Te llamé a las 3.

2. Acciones repetidas un número específico de veces. Escribí 3 cartas a mi tía / Te llamé 5 veces

3. Acciones sucedidas durante un período específico de tiempo (pero no sabemos cuándo comenzaron o cuando terminaron con exactitud, sólo cuál fue su duración) Estudié por 8 horas. Vivió en España por 2 años.

4. The preterite often emphasizes physical action. Describe, no cómo eran o estaban las cosas o personas sino lo que hicieron o lo que sucedió. Normalmente cuando contamos algo creamos el transfondo con impefecto y las acciones concretas con pretérito.

Yo estaba durmiendo cuando sonó el teléfono. Era mi amiga María. Me invitó a una fiesta. Me vestí y tomé un taxi.

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