Spanish language Q&A Forum

Hola, 

Are there particular differences in using estar por vs pensar in expressing intention to do something?

'Estoy por comer helado.'

'Pienso comer helado.'

Gracias

Does querer que trigger the subjunctive if it's something you're wishing for yourself? 

Si yo quisiera decir "the more people i meet, the happier i will be", ¿sería "Cuanta más gente conozca yo, más feliz seré", o "Cuanta más gente a la que conozca yo, más feliz seré?

Yesterday I was visiting my friend Jimena.

The best answer is:

Ayer estuve visitando a mi amiga Jimena.

Is it incorrect to say    estaba visitando  OR   visitaba   ?

I can't find any lessons on the differences.

Gracias

Si mue gusta. Cuando era niña comi toda las gaetas del mundo 

Can you guys give us a full breakdown of what things (verbs) use the third person "they did this for me" but it's translated in English as "I had done." ?? It's very confusing and it seems kinda random what things you can use this with or not. The only reason I even knew that this structure existed is because I have some Mexican family members who use this structure but in English. For instance they might they "they're fixing the car right now." But they mean they're having the car fixed for them right now. 

In some lessons you guys mention personal care "being done for oneself" but it's still first person, like cutting hair, doing nails. I'm just confused as to when it's ok to use third person or not. 

The instructions say to use "indefinido" but the indicitive mood examples use imperfecto. Also, the question asked on the quiz only has imperfecto and futuro simple as options. I went with imperfecto and it was marked correct.

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If the main clause uses a tense that implies a past action, for example El Pretérito Indefinido or El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto, then the por si/por si acaso clause uses a past tense.

Why use estaba when saying “I was very calm and happy”? It didn’t seem like an ongoing action in the past but one defined by “after my swim”. Why not estuve?

Once I was in a store here in Mexico and the clerk asked me if I wanted a “canastilla”.  I didn’t know what she meant until she brought me a plastic shopping basket.  My Mexican friends laughed when I said that I would have understood “canastita”.  I still don’t know a rule for when to use -illa.  I do know that “ventanilla” is the word for the small airplane window so I’m guessing that in general the “-illa” suffix is used for physically small things and not for any of the other uses.

 But the suffix -it@ is used a lot.  “Cafecito” is a common word and there are even restaurants that are named “El Cafecito”.  A Spanish teacher once told me that the Mexicans used to use diminutives in order to set themselves apart from the Conquistadores, who made demanding, forceful requests.  

Does it matter when you use which?