Describing yourself using your senses on other people/things in action

Question

Hola a esta linda comunidad!

I would like to clarify something. In English, when we use our senses such as sight or hearing, we usually see or hear these things in action. So I want to know how to say this in Spanish.

For example: "I saw you swimming in the lake."

What would be the grammatically correct Spanish equivalent? "Te vi nadar en el mar." Or "Te vi nadando en el mar." Are both wrong or are both right?

Another example: "I heard birds singing in the park."

"Yo oí/escuché pájaros cantar en el parque." Or "Yo oí/escuché pájaros cantando en el parque."

Answer 1

In both of these, both examples are correct.

"Te vi nadar en el mar." This expression focuses on the action of swimming. I saw you swimming in the lake.

"Te vi nadando en el mar". is more of a description of the whole--like painting a verbal picture. "I saw you swimming in the lake."

Your second sentence," Oí/escuché pájaros cantar/cantando. I would go with cantando. No rule. Just sounds better.

I've never seen any rules on this. It may be just a regional thing, but that's the way I understand it.

Gracias Daniela! Tu ayuda siempre me sirve! - cmusba, Jun 22, 2016

Thank you for the description of the different senses the choices give you, that is very helpful. :) - bosquederoble, Jun 22, 2016