instar Preterite Conjugation
instar — to urge
The preterite of instar is regular: insté, instaste, instó, instamos, instasteis, instaron.
instar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for a specific instance where you urged someone to do something, and that action of urging is now completed. For example, 'I urged him yesterday' or 'She urged us to leave'.
Notes on instar in the Preterite
Instar is a regular -ar verb and follows the standard conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. The nosotros form 'instamos' is identical to the present tense; context clarifies which is meant.
Example Sentences
Te insté a que tomaras una decisión rápida.
I urged you to make a quick decision.
yo
¿Me instaste a llamar a mi madre?
Did you urge me to call my mother?
tú
El comité nos instó a reconsiderar la propuesta.
The committee urged us to reconsider the proposal.
él/ella/usted
Mis padres me instaron a estudiar medicina.
My parents urged me to study medicine.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of preterite for a single, completed act of urging.
Correct: Use 'insté' or 'instó' for a specific past urging, not 'instaba'.
Why: The preterite marks completed actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'insté' and 'instó'.
Correct: The correct forms are 'insté' and 'instó'.
Why: The accent marks the stressed syllable and distinguishes these preterite forms.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'instar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: insto
The present tense of instar: 'insto', 'instas', 'insta', 'instamos', 'instáis', 'instan' is used for urging happening now or habitually.
Imperfect
yo: instaba
The imperfect of instar: 'instaba', 'instabas', 'instaba', 'instábamos', 'instabais', 'instaban' describes past urging that was ongoing or habitual.
Future
yo: instaré
The future tense of instar: 'instaré', 'instarás', 'instará', 'instaremos', 'instaréis', 'instarán' indicates future urging or probability.
Conditional
yo: instaría
The conditional of instar: 'instaría', 'instarías', 'instaría', 'instaríamos', 'instaríais', 'instarían' is for hypothetical urging or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: inste
The present subjunctive of instar, 'insté', 'instes', 'instemos', etc., is used after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: instara
The imperfect subjunctive of instar, like 'instara' or 'instase', is used for past hypothetical situations or past wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: insta
The imperative of instar is mostly regular, with 'insta' (tú) and 'instemos' (nosotros) being key forms.
Negative Imperative
yo: no instes
Negative commands with instar use the present subjunctive: 'no instes', 'no inste', 'no instemos', etc.