estar Present Subjunctive Conjugation
estar — to be
The present subjunctive of estar is irregular and all forms except 'nosotros' have accents: esté, estés, esté, estemos, estéis, estén.
estar Present Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Present Subjunctive
Use this after expressions of doubt, emotion, or desire (e.g., 'Espero que estés bien').
Notes on estar in the Present Subjunctive
It follows the 'esté-' pattern. Note that 'estemos' is the only form without an accent.
Example Sentences
Espero que estés bien.
I hope you are doing well.
tú
Busco un hotel que esté cerca.
I'm looking for a hotel that is nearby.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: este
Correct: esté
Why: Without the accent, 'este' means 'this' (masculine), not the verb form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: estoy
The present tense of estar is irregular in the 'yo' form (estoy) and requires accents on most other forms (estás, está, están).
Preterite
yo: estuve
The preterite of estar uses an irregular 'estuv-' stem: estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron.
Imperfect
yo: estaba
Estar is regular in the imperfect: estaba, estabas, estaba, estábamos, estabais, estaban.
Future
yo: estaré
Estar is regular in the future tense: estaré, estarás, estará, estaremos, estaréis, estarán.
Conditional
yo: estaría
Estar is regular in the conditional: estaría, estarías, estaría, estaríamos, estaríais, estarían.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: estuviera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'estuv-' stem: estuviera, estuvieras, estuviera, estuviéramos, estuvierais, estuvieran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: está
The imperative of estar is used to tell someone to 'be' in a certain state: está, esté, estemos, estad, estén.
Negative Imperative
yo: no estés
Negative commands for estar use the present subjunctive: no estés, no esté, no estemos, no estéis, no estén.