estirar Preterite Conjugation
estirar — to stretch
The preterite of estirar is regular: estiré, estiraste, estiró, estiramos, estirasteis, estiraron.
estirar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to talk about a specific, completed action of stretching in the past. For example, 'Ayer estiré la espalda después de trabajar.' (Yesterday I stretched my back after working.) It marks the beginning or end of the stretching action.
Notes on estirar in the Preterite
Estirar is fully regular in the preterite tense. All the endings are standard for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo estiré mis piernas antes de la clase.
I stretched my legs before class.
yo
¿Estiraste el cuello hoy?
Did you stretch your neck today?
tú
Él estiró los brazos hacia el cielo.
He stretched his arms towards the sky.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros estiramos juntos en el parque.
We stretched together in the park.
nosotros
Ellos estiraron el cable para que llegara más lejos.
They stretched the cable so it would reach further.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'estiraba' instead of the preterite 'estiré' for a single action.
Correct: Say 'Estiré mi brazo' (I stretched my arm) for a completed action, not 'Estiraba mi brazo'.
Why: The preterite is for specific, completed events, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form.
Correct: The correct form is 'estiré', not 'estire'.
Why: The accent on the final 'é' is crucial to distinguish the preterite 'yo' form from the present subjunctive 'yo' form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: estiro
The present tense of estirar (estiro) is used for current actions, habits, and general truths.
Imperfect
yo: estiraba
The imperfect of estirar (estiraba) describes ongoing or habitual past stretching.
Future
yo: estiraré
The future tense of estirar (estiraré) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: estiraría
The conditional of estirar (estiraría) is used for hypotheticals ('would stretch') and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: estire
The present subjunctive of estirar (estire) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: estirara
The imperfect subjunctive of estirar (estirara/estirase) is used for past hypotheticals or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: estira
Use imperative forms like 'estira' (tú) for direct commands with estirar.
Negative Imperative
yo: no estires
Use 'no' + present subjunctive (e.g., 'no estires') for negative commands with estirar.