Breakdown of He viajado mucho, pero ayer me quedé en un alojamiento caro.
pero
but
un
a, an (masculine)
en
in / on / at
mucho
many / a lot
caro
expensive
viajar
to travel
quedarse
to stay / to end up / become
ayer
yesterday
haber
(auxiliary) have
el alojamiento
accommodation
Questions & Answers about He viajado mucho, pero ayer me quedé en un alojamiento caro.
Why do we use he viajado in the first half but me quedé in the second?
This sentence perfectly shows the difference between the Present Perfect and the Preterite in Latin American Spanish. We use he viajado (I have traveled) because it describes a general life experience with an open timeframe. However, as soon as the sentence introduces ayer (yesterday), the timeframe is closed, so we must switch to the Preterite for me quedé (I stayed).
Why do we need the pronoun me in me quedé?
If I am still staying in this expensive accommodation today, could I use the Present Perfect for the second part?
In Latin American Spanish, you still use the Preterite (me quedé) because the specific time marker you used is ayer (yesterday). Even if your stay continues into today, the fact that you associate the action with a finished past day forces you to use the Preterite.
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