estar Preterite Conjugation
estar — to be
The preterite of estar uses an irregular 'estuv-' stem: estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron.
estar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for 'estar' when describing being in a place or state for a specific, completed period of time. It marks a clear beginning and end to the situation.
Notes on estar in the Preterite
This is a 'U-stem' irregular verb. It drops the -ar ending and uses 'estuv-' with special endings that do not have accents (unlike regular -ar verbs).
Example Sentences
Estuve en Madrid por tres días.
I was in Madrid for three days.
yo
¿Estuviste en la fiesta anoche?
Were you at the party last night?
tú
La tienda estuvo cerrada ayer.
The store was closed yesterday.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: esté
Correct: estuve
Why: Learners often try to use regular -ar endings, but estar is highly irregular in the preterite.
Mistake: estuvió
Correct: estuvo
Why: Learners often add an accent to the 3rd person singular, but U-stem preterites never have accents on the endings.
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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).
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.
Present Subjunctive
yo: esté
The present subjunctive of estar is irregular and all forms except 'nosotros' have accents: esté, estés, esté, estemos, estéis, estén.
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.