How ~てある and ~ておいた differs?


> 晩ご飯が作ってある  
>  Dinner has been made. (intentional)
>
> 晩ご飯を作っておいた.  
>  (I) made dinner (so I can eat it).

They seem quite the same. Btw what are some cases in which -てあった are used? I
can't recreate one.




> 1)「晩{ばん}ご飯{はん}が作{つく} **ってある** 。」
>
> Dinner has been made ( **and it is still there untouched**.)
>
> 2)「晩ご飯を作っ **ておいた**.」
>
> Someone made dinner some time ago ( **so that I/someone could eat it later
> on** ).

The difference in meaning between the two sentences would depend heavily on
the current situation of the meal that one made.

Sentence #1, even without any further context, would always mean that the meal
(or at least the speaker's portion) is still there uneaten and available as
the speaker utters the sentence. This is because of the use of 「～～ってある」. " _
**Dinner was made and it is still there**_." The temporal point of reference
is **NOW**.

Sentence #2 without any further context, however, leaves one unsure of what
has happened to the dinner that was made. Someone may already have eaten it or
it may still be there untouched. The temporal point of reference is in the
**PAST**.

Thus, the two sentences would describe practically the same situation only on
the condition that the dinner in question is still there.

Moving on to 「～～てあった」...

> 「晩ご飯が作って **あった** 。」

means:

> "Dinner _**had**_ been made." (You found that situation some time ago.)

The temporal point of reference is in the past. For instance, you could say
"When I got home from school yesterday, dinner had already been made." The
meal was there ready to eat. Once again, the sentence says nothing about
whether or not you actually ate it.




> 1)「晩{ばん}ご飯{はん}が作{つく} **ってある** 。」
>
> Dinner has been made ( **and it is still there untouched**.)
>
> 2)「晩ご飯を作っ **ておいた**.」
>
> Someone made dinner some time ago ( **so that I/someone could eat it later
> on** ).

The difference in meaning between the two sentences would depend heavily on
the current situation of the meal that one made.

Sentence #1, even without any further context, would always mean that the meal
(or at least the speaker's portion) is still there uneaten and available as
the speaker utters the sentence. This is because of the use of 「～～ってある」. " _
**Dinner was made and it is still there**_." The temporal point of reference
is **NOW**.

Sentence #2 without any further context, however, leaves one unsure of what
has happened to the dinner that was made. Someone may already have eaten it or
it may still be there untouched. The temporal point of reference is in the
**PAST**.

Thus, the two sentences would describe practically the same situation only on
the condition that the dinner in question is still there.

Moving on to 「～～てあった」...

> 「晩ご飯が作って **あった** 。」

means:

> "Dinner _**had**_ been made." (You found that situation some time ago.)

The temporal point of reference is in the past. For instance, you could say
"When I got home from school yesterday, dinner had already been made." The
meal was there ready to eat. Once again, the sentence says nothing about
whether or not you actually ate it.

