estaba
/es-TAH-bah/
was
Estaba often tells you where someone or something was located in the past, like this person who estaba en la biblioteca (was in the library).
📝 In Action
Yo estaba en casa todo el día.
A1I was at home all day.
El libro estaba sobre la mesa.
A1The book was on the table.
¿Usted estaba en la oficina ayer?
A2Were you (formal) in the office yesterday?
💡 Grammar Points
Who is 'estaba'?
Estaba can mean 'I was' or 'he/she/you (formal) was'. You know who it is from the rest of the sentence or the conversation.
⭐ Usage Tips
Setting the Scene
Use estaba to describe the background of a story, like where people were or what the scene looked like before the main action happened.
You also use estaba to describe how someone was feeling or what condition something was in, like this person who estaba cansado (was tired).
estaba(Verb)
was
?describing a feeling or condition
felt
?e.g., 'I felt tired'
,seemed
?e.g., 'He seemed happy'
📝 In Action
Ella estaba muy feliz con la noticia.
A2She was very happy with the news.
Yo estaba enfermo la semana pasada.
A2I was sick last week.
La puerta estaba abierta.
A2The door was open.
El café estaba demasiado caliente.
A2The coffee was too hot.
💡 Grammar Points
Temporary vs. Permanent ('Estar' vs. 'Ser')
Estar is for temporary states (how you feel, where you are). For more permanent traits (who you are, what you're like), you'll use a different verb, ser.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'fue' instead of 'estaba' for feelings
Mistake: "Él fue triste."
Correction: Él estaba triste. Use `estaba` for feelings and moods. 'Fue' comes from the verb `ser` and is used for more permanent traits or to describe an event.
Estaba plus a verb ending in -ando or -iendo shows an action that was happening over a period of time, like this person who estaba corriendo (was running).
📝 In Action
Yo estaba leyendo cuando sonó el teléfono.
A2I was reading when the phone rang.
Él estaba trabajando en el jardín.
A2He was working in the garden.
Cuando llegué, ella estaba cocinando.
B1When I arrived, she was cooking.
💡 Grammar Points
The '-ing' of the Past
Think of estaba + [verb]-ando/iendo as the Spanish way to say 'was [verb]-ing'. It emphasizes that the action was in progress.
⭐ Usage Tips
Describing an Interrupted Action
This form is perfect for talking about an ongoing action that got interrupted. For example: 'I was sleeping when the alarm went off.' (Yo estaba durmiendo cuando sonó la alarma.)
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: estaba
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly describes someone's feeling in the past?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'estaba' and 'estuvo'?
Think of it like this: `estaba` describes the background scene or an ongoing state in the past ('The sun was shining, and I was happy'). `Estuvo` describes a completed action or state within a specific timeframe ('He was sick for three days and then got better'). You'll use `estaba` much more often for descriptions.
Why does 'estaba' mean both 'I was' and 'he/she was'?
It's a feature of Spanish verb endings. For this specific past tense (the imperfect), the forms for 'yo' (I) and 'él/ella/usted' (he/she/you formal) are the same. You can usually tell who the speaker means from the context of the conversation.
Can I use 'estaba' to say 'I was a doctor'?
No, you would not use `estaba` for that. Professions are considered a more permanent characteristic, so you would use a form of the verb `ser`. To say 'I was a doctor,' you would say 'Yo era doctor'.