hubo o hubía/

Question

I've read both hubo (perfect past) and hubía (imperfect past) in the description of an event.

Example: Yesterday, there was a person here. Mañana hubo o hubía un gente aqui.

Which one is correct?

The word "gente" in Spanish is equivalent to "people" in English. In Spanish however you say "La gente quiere (third person singular)" and in English "The people want. (third person plural)" - Jubilado, Sep 24, 2015

Answer 1

HABíA - Es la forma usado más frecuentamente .

Ayer había mucho tráfico en la autopista. – Yesterday there was a lot of traffic on the motorway.

El lunes pasado había poca gente en la playa.- On Monday past there were few people at the beach.

HUBO – Es más fuerte y más enfático. The use of hubo indicates exceptional circumstances

Ayer hubo muchisimo tráfico en la autopista - indicates more than normal

Ayer hubo un accidente en la autopista. Durante el accidente hubo seis heridos, pero afortunadamente no hubo muertos.

I dont know why you say that "habia" indicates normal circunstances. The first time I ever hear it. i can't give you many examples in which that is not true... - txustaboy, Sep 25, 2015

Yes! Perhaps not the best description of it's use txustaboy. I'll cancel that. - tomasdeAlba, Sep 25, 2015

Answer 2

You may also check out the answers on this post: (click on the link below)

http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/277057/why-is-this-sentence-like-this

I made your link live. :) - bosquederoble, Sep 24, 2015

I knew I had put an answer to this question before. I can never find my old answers. :) - bosquederoble, Sep 24, 2015

I remembered that you gave the best answer! You can go to Q & A and click on "my answers" and try to find your previous posts there. - Jubilado, Sep 24, 2015

Yes, indeed I can, but I answer too many things and can never remember if it was last week or three months ago, nor what the person titled the question, so it always seems a bit too much work for me. - bosquederoble, Sep 24, 2015

Yes, SD needs a better search feature. - rac1, Sep 24, 2015

Answer 3

Neither, as mañana refers to the future and gente is not used for a single person ( una persona/ un hombre/ una mujer).

Answer 4

Hubía does not exist.

Hubo, había hubieron