Estar Preterite Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The preterite of estar — to be — is the form you need for finished actions in the past. Estar is the verb for states, locations and temporary conditions: how you feel, where something is, and how things are right now. It pairs with the gerund to form the progressive (estoy hablando) and with adjectives to describe moods and health. The ser vs estar contrast is the single most important choice in Spanish. This page gives you the complete preterite table for estar, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Ayer yo estuve en Madrid.” — “Yesterday I was in Madrid”.

Preterite conjugation of estar

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for estar. Estar is an irregular -ar verb (irregular in present, preterite, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative), so watch out for the forms that break the pattern — they are the ones learners need to memorise.

Preterite indicative — estar

Person Form
yo estuve
tú estuviste
él/ella/Ud. estuvo
nosotros/as estuvimos
vosotros/as estuvisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. estuvieron

The gerund of estar is estando and the past participle is estado. The participle matters here because the preterite is often confused with the perfect tenses — keep them apart.

How the preterite of estar is formed

The preterite of estar does not follow the regular pattern. If estar were regular, the preterite forms would be yo → esté, tú → estaste, él/ella/Ud. → estó, nosotros/as → estamos, vosotros/as → estasteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → estaron — but estar breaks the pattern in this tense: the forms are estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis and estuvieron.

The preterite stem here is estuv-, which you cannot get from the infinitive by rule — it has to be learnt as part of the verb. The endings then attach to that stem: estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis and estuvieron. This is the same pattern the verb follows in the imperfect subjunctive, which is built on the preterite third-person plural, so learning the preterite pays twice.

A note on spelling: none of the preterite forms of estar carries a written accent, which is one less thing to memorise — but do not add one by habit. Copy the forms from the table above exactly as written.

When to use the preterite of estar

1. Completed actions at a specific time

Use the preterite for an action that started and finished in the past. For example, with estar: “Ayer yo estuve en Madrid.” — “Yesterday I was in Madrid”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. A sequence of actions

Use the preterite to list one finished action after another. For example, with estar: “Ella estuvo enferma la semana pasada.” — “She was ill last week”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. Actions that interrupt an ongoing situation

Use the preterite for the action that breaks into a longer background scene. For example, with estar: “Nosotros estuvimos en la playa todo el día.” — “We were at the beach all day”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Sudden changes and achievements

Use the preterite for a change of state or something achieved at one moment. For example, with estar: “Ellos estuvieron contentos con la noticia.” — “They were happy with the news”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Preterite vs imperfect: estar finished, estar in progress

The preterite and the imperfect are the two past tenses, and choosing between them is the hardest decision in Spanish past-tense grammar. The preterite is for what happened and finished; the imperfect is for what was happening, what used to happen, and the background. Compare the pairs below — the preterite form comes from this page, the imperfect form from the full conjugation table.

  • Preterite tense: “Ayer yo estuve en casa.” — “Yesterday I was at home.”

  • Imperfect: “De niño, yo estaba en casa.” — “As a child, I used to be at home.”

  • Preterite tense: “Ella estuvo en casa a las ocho.” — “She was at home at eight.”

  • Imperfect: “Ella estaba en casa cada día.” — “She used to be at home every day.”

  • Preterite tense: “Nosotros estuvimos en casa el sábado.” — “We was at home on Saturday.”

  • Imperfect: “Nosotros estábamos en casa todos los sábados.” — “We used to be at home every Saturday.”

Example sentences: estar in the preterite

Six sentences using only the preterite of estar, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “Ayer yo estuve en Madrid.” — “Yesterday I was in Madrid.”
  • “Ella estuvo enferma la semana pasada.” — “She was ill last week.”
  • “Nosotros estuvimos en la playa todo el día.” — “We were at the beach all day.”
  • “Ellos estuvieron contentos con la noticia.” — “They were happy with the news.”
  • “¿Tú estuviste en la fiesta anoche?” — “Were you at the party last night?”
  • “El libro estuvo en la mochila.” — “The book was in the backpack.”

Common mistakes with estar in the preterite

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo soy cansado.

Right: Yo estuve cansado.

Being tired is a temporary state, so it takes estar, not ser.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Madrid es en España — wrong for location.

Right: Madrid estuvo en España.

Cities and places take estar for location; ser is for identity, not for where something is.

Quiz: estar in the preterite

Eight questions on the preterite of estar. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of estar in the preterite?

  • A) estuve
  • B) estuviste
  • C) estuvo
  • D) estuvimos

Answer: A — The yo form in the preterite is estuve.

2. What is the tú form of estar in the preterite?

  • A) estuve
  • B) estuvo
  • C) estuvimos
  • D) estuviste

Answer: D — The tú form in the preterite is estuviste.

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of estar in the preterite?

  • A) estuviste
  • B) estuvimos
  • C) estuvo
  • D) estuve

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite is estuvo.

4. What is the nosotros/as form of estar in the preterite?

  • A) estuvo
  • B) estuvimos
  • C) estuve
  • D) estuviste

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the preterite is estuvimos.

5. Fill in the blank: “Ayer yo ___ en Madrid.” (Yesterday I was in Madrid.)

  • A) estuve
  • B) estuviste
  • C) estuvo
  • D) estuvimos

Answer: A — The sentence needs estuve.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ enferma la semana pasada.” (She was ill last week.)

  • A) estuve
  • B) estuviste
  • C) estuvimos
  • D) estuvo

Answer: D — The sentence needs estuvo.

7. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo soy cansado.
  • B) Yo estuve cansado.

Answer: B — Being tired is a temporary state, so it takes estar, not ser.

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Madrid estuvo en España.
  • B) Madrid es en España — wrong for location.

Answer: A — Cities and places take estar for location; ser is for identity, not for where something is.

Frequently asked questions

Is estar regular in the preterite?

No. estar is irregular in the preterite: the forms are estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis and estuvieron. There is no rule that produces them from the infinitive, so they have to be learnt as a set — the quiz above is a good place to start.

What is the yo form of estar in the preterite?

It is estuve. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for estar it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the preterite of estar instead of the present?

Use the preterite when the action is finished and tied to a specific moment — yesterday, last week, at eight o’clock. If the action was ongoing, habitual, or just background to another event, the imperfect is the right choice, not the preterite.

How can I remember the preterite forms of estar?

Say the six forms aloud in order — estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and the full conjugation page for estar to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo estoy…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo estuve…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo estaré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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