Help with a sentence !

Question

Hi!

My teacher said that you're saying "Hablabas Español cuando estabas en Barcelona?" (Did you speak Spanish when you were in Barcelona?)

But, I thought that you're saying "Hablabas Español cuando estuviste en Barcelona" because hablabas is a repeated event, exactly like my teacher said, but it should be estuviste (preterite) and not estabas (imperfecto) because its about being in Barcelona only that time, or am I wrong?

I think you are correct in wanting to use pretérito (it would be estuvas in your sentence) but I have trouble with this too. Hopefully someone fluent will answer. - Jubilado, May 7, 2016

In English use "...said that you would say..." and "I thought that you would say..." instead of "that you're saying." - Jubilado, May 7, 2016

Oh, thank you for correcting me!!! Haha I wrote wrong, of course it should be "estuviste" and not "estuvo". - Spanishsweden, May 7, 2016

Answer 1

¿Hablabas español cuando estabas en Barcelona?. Do you used to speak Spanish When you were in Barcelona?.( I am asking you if you spoke in Spanish all the time during your stay in Barcelona)

¿Hablaste español cuando estuviste en Barcelona? (There was an ocasion in which )you spoke Spanish in your stay in Barcelona? (I suppose you spoke your native tonge the most of the time)

Okey, I think I understand! Thanks for the answer!! :) - Spanishsweden, May 7, 2016

Answer 2

Did you use to speak Spanish while you were in Barcelona?