Era vs Fue

[wafflestomp]

When exactly should these be used? Is it the same meaning if I said something like "Fue bueno que ganaras el partido" and "Era bueno que ganaras el partido"??

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

"Fue" if it has already happened.
"Era" if you're talking about the moment when it was happening.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

"Fue" if it has already happened.
"Era" if you're talking about the moment when it was happening.

Aw! I was expecting for your answer...

Ok Lou Ann? Can you set us up straight?

You must know this, right?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by chileno

Aw! I was expecting for your answer...

This is an interesting statement, because I don't know what you mean. Were you hoping for or expecting? What would you have said in Spanish?

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

Aw! I was expecting for your answer...

Ok Lou Ann? Can you set us up straight?

You must know this, right?

Uh oh - I missed this last night. I actually make this mistake all the time, and am still trying to work out my own approach to it.

Era is the imperfect tense, so I think of it more as a verb that creates a setting or a descriptor, or an action whose end is unclear (right?).

Fue is the preterite tense, so I think of it more as an action in the past with a clearly understood beginning and end.

I'm looking at some examples on a different website, and see a discussion based on two similar sentences:

Él era guapo.
Él fue guapo.

Which sentence means what? I imagine that if I am telling a story about something that happened in the past and I'm trying to set the scene, I might use "él era guapo", and then go on to add other scene-setting details ... "la noche era muy oscura y tranquila", etc....

Then I would guess that the other sentence would be used to explain something that happened and is over. "Mi padre falleció hace ocho años. Él fue guapo."

Is any of this correct?

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Perikles

This is an interesting statement, because I don't know what you mean. Were you hoping for or expecting? What would you have said in Spanish?

I thought I wrote in English...

I was expectant, I was sure Angelica was going to answer.

In Spanish "esperar" is used for wait/expect and hope.

Originally Posted by laepelba

Uh oh - I missed this last night. I actually make this mistake all the time, and am still trying to work out my own approach to it.

Era is the imperfect tense, so I think of it more as a verb that creates a setting or a descriptor, or an action whose end is unclear (right?).

Fue is the preterite tense, so I think of it more as an action in the past with a clearly understood beginning and end.

I'm looking at some examples on a different website, and see a discussion based on two similar sentences:

Él era guapo.
Él fue guapo.

Which sentence means what? I imagine that if I am telling a story about something that happened in the past and I'm trying to set the scene, I might use "él era guapo", and then go on to add other scene-setting details ... "la noche era muy oscura y tranquila", etc....

Then I would guess that the other sentence would be used to explain something that happened and is over. "Mi padre falleció hace ocho años. Él fue guapo."

Is any of this correct?

I think all of those are correct. The problem is that Spanish grammar rules does not really provide a clear cut on these examples, and there are always discussions on these. The people that know try to make it even more confusing to let people who don't know grammar, as me, to think whatever.

La tipa esa fue guapa en su juventud, pero ya no lo es.
La tipa esa era guapa en su juventud, pero ya no lo es.

In the case of the original question: "Fue bueno que ganaras el partido" and "Era bueno que ganaras el partido"

Fue bueno que ganaras el partido. The match has been won and it feel really good because you were on the winning team.

Era bueno que ganaras el partido. I am talking about the times when you used to play football and while something else was going on, the fact that you were in the winning team signified something really important to you and who knows maybe the country?

It depends on context.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

I thought I wrote in English...

I was expectant, I was sure Angelica was going to answer.

In Spanish "esperar" is used for wait/expect and hope.

I would have to agree with Perikles on this. Your statement in English was confusing. The question was asked. Angelica answered it. Then you said "Aw! I was expecting for your answer... ". In English, that sounds like you were expecting her answer, and then she didn't give it. It was also a bit ambiguous as to whom you were talking ... Angelica? Or someone else? That's why he asked the question.... I almost did the same...

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Then I would guess that the other sentence would be used to explain something that happened and is over. "Mi padre falleció hace ocho años. Él fue guapo."

Is any of this correct?

"Mi padre falleció hace ocho años. Él era guapo." (with "fue" you are trying to coordinate the tense with "falleció" which is in another sentence). I can't think of a sentence containing "fue guapo" with guapo meaning handsome, because I can't imagine the exact situation, precise chronology or time of ceasing to be handsome as a point of interest in speech. The key point is not if some situation is over but if you need to set the action including a label of it being over, for instance, there's no need to describe the looks of you dead father by also stating the coordinated dead of his looks.

[wafflestomp]

For a person, I was always taught that it was supposed to be with "era", never "fue" Actually I think Rusty taught me that the first time on this site

Angelica, what exactly do you mean? I don't quite understand.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I would have to agree with Perikles on this. Your statement in English was confusing. The question was asked. Angelica answered it. Then you said "Aw! I was expecting for your answer... ". In English, that sounds like you were expecting her answer, and then she didn't give it. It was also a bit ambiguous as to whom you were talking ... Angelica? Or someone else? That's why he asked the question.... I almost did the same...

Maybe I should have added.

I was expecting for your answer to be accurate and knowledgeable...? (who know what my head thinks)