estar preterite conjugation
Estar (to be (temporary/location)) in the preterite: estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron.
Pretérito indefinido Preterite
| yo | regular: esté |
|---|---|
| tú | regular: estaste |
| él/ella/usted | regular: estó |
| nosotros | regular: estamos |
| vosotros | regular: estasteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: estaron |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the preterite
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How it is formed
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Estar is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give esté, estaste, estó, estamos, estasteis, estaron.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
Estar in a sentence
- Estoy cansado hoy.I am tired today.
- Ellos estaban en la playa.They were at the beach.
Irregular verb; used for location, temporary states, and progressive tenses with gerund.
FAQ
What is the preterite of estar?
Estar in the Spanish preterite: yo estuve, tú estuviste, él/ella/usted estuvo, nosotros estuvimos, vosotros estuvisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes estuvieron.
Is estar irregular in the preterite?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: yo estuve (regular would be esté); tú estuviste (regular would be estaste); él/ella/usted estuvo (regular would be estó); nosotros estuvimos (regular would be estamos); vosotros estuvisteis (regular would be estasteis); ellos/ellas/ustedes estuvieron (regular would be estaron).
When do you use the Spanish preterite?
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How is the preterite formed?
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Full estar conjugation, all tenses →
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