Can I say "there you were" instead of "there you are"?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
When you want to express that you have bumped into or met with someone you were looking for, "there you are" is used in the present tense. Thus, "there you were" cannot be used in situations like the one shown in this video. Ex: There you are! Where did you go? Ex: I'm looking for Jenny - there you are!