Estofar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb estofar means to stew — it also means to braise, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Estofar is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of estofar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo estofo la carne — "I stew the meat" — and in the preterite you say Yo estofé a fuego lento — "I stewed over a low heat". Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: estofar
- English: to stew, to braise
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: estofando
- Past participle: estofado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + estofado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for estofar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for estofar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Gerund: estofando · Past participle: estofado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estofo |
| tú | estofas |
| él/ella/Ud. | estofa |
| nosotros/as | estofamos |
| vosotros/as | estofáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estofan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estofé |
| tú | estofaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | estofó |
| nosotros/as | estofamos |
| vosotros/as | estofasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estofaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estofaba |
| tú | estofabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | estofaba |
| nosotros/as | estofábamos |
| vosotros/as | estofabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estofaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estofaré |
| tú | estofarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | estofará |
| nosotros/as | estofaremos |
| vosotros/as | estofaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estofarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estofaría |
| tú | estofarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | estofaría |
| nosotros/as | estofaríamos |
| vosotros/as | estofaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estofarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he estofado |
| tú | has estofado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha estofado |
| nosotros/as | hemos estofado |
| vosotros/as | habéis estofado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han estofado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había estofado |
| tú | habías estofado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había estofado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos estofado |
| vosotros/as | habíais estofado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían estofado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré estofado |
| tú | habrás estofado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá estofado |
| nosotros/as | habremos estofado |
| vosotros/as | habréis estofado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán estofado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría estofado |
| tú | habrías estofado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría estofado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos estofado |
| vosotros/as | habríais estofado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían estofado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estofe |
| tú | estofes |
| él/ella/Ud. | estofe |
| nosotros/as | estofemos |
| vosotros/as | estoféis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estofen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estofara |
| tú | estofaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | estofara |
| nosotros/as | estofáramos |
| vosotros/as | estofarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estofaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | estofa |
| él/ella/Ud. | estofe |
| nosotros/as | estofemos |
| vosotros/as | estofad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estofen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | estofes |
| él/ella/Ud. | estofe |
| nosotros/as | estofemos |
| vosotros/as | estoféis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estofen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | estofando | with estar for the progressive: estoy estofando |
| Past participle | estofado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he estofado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For estofar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo estofo a fuego lento — "I stew over a low heat". Learn the present indicative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For estofar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo estofé con verduras — "I stewed with vegetables". Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For estofar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo estofaba la carne — "I used to stew the meat". Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For estofar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo estofaré a fuego lento — "I will stew over a low heat". Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For estofar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo estofaría con verduras — "I would stew with vegetables". Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. It connects the past with the present moment. For estofar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he estofado la carne — "I have stewed the meat". Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For estofar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había estofado a fuego lento — "I had stewed over a low heat". Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For estofar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré estofado con verduras — "I will have stewed with vegetables". Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. It looks back at a past that never happened. For estofar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría estofado la carne — "I would have stewed the meat". Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For estofar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él estofe a fuego lento — "I hope he stews over a low heat". Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For estofar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo estofara con verduras, todo cambiaría — "If I stewed with vegetables, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For estofar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Estofe la carne — "Let him stew the meat". Learn the imperative (affirmative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For estofar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No estofes a fuego lento — "Don't stew over a low heat". Learn the imperative (negative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with estofar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo estofo con verduras — "I stew with vegetables"
- Él estofa la carne — "He stews the meat"
- Yo estofé a fuego lento — "I stewed over a low heat"
- Yo estofaba con verduras — "I used to stew with vegetables"
- Tú estofarás la carne — "You will stew the meat"
- Yo estofaría a fuego lento — "I would stew over a low heat"
- Él ha estofado con verduras — "He has stewed with vegetables"
- Espero que él estofe la carne — "I hope he stews the meat"
- Yo había estofado a fuego lento — "I had stewed over a low heat"
- Ellos estofaban con verduras — "They used to stew with vegetables"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos estofa la carne — Right: Ellos estofan la carne — Ellos needs the ellos form estofan. The singular estofa belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo estofo — Right: Ayer, yo estofé — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to estofé.
- Wrong: De niño, yo estofé todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo estofaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (estofaba), not the preterite. The preterite (estofé) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy estofado a fuego lento. — Right: Yo he estofado a fuego lento. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he estofado, has estofado, ha estofado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Treating estofar and guisar as identical in every context. — Right: Estofar means to stew, while guisar means to stew, to cook. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: estofar fits sentences such as Yo estofo la carne, while guisar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on estofar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la carne. (present tense) A. estofo B. estofaran C. estofaras D. habré estofado
Complete the sentence: Él ___ la carne. (preterite) A. estofemos B. habrías estofado C. habíamos estofado D. estofó
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la carne. (imperfect) A. estofábamos B. estofa C. habréis estofado D. estofarás
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ la carne. (future) A. había estofado B. estofarían C. estofarás D. estofarías
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la carne. (conditional) A. habíamos estofado B. estofaría C. estofabas D. estofa
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la carne. (present subjunctive) A. estofarás B. estofaste C. estofabais D. estofe
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la carne, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. estofáis B. habríais estofado C. estofe D. estofara
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la carne. (present perfect) A. ha estofado B. estofó C. hemos estofado D. han estofado
Complete the command: No ___ la carne. (negative imperative, tú) A. estofes B. estofen C. estoféis D. estofe
Which is the gerund of estofar, used with estar for the progressive? A. estofé B. estofando C. estofaba D. estofo
Answer key
- estofo — The yo present tense of estofar is estofo.
- estofó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of estofar is estofó.
- estofábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of estofar is estofábamos.
- estofarás — The tú future of estofar is estofarás.
- estofaría — The yo conditional of estofar is estofaría.
- estofe — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of estofar is estofe.
- estofara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of estofar is estofara.
- hemos estofado — The nosotros/as present perfect of estofar is hemos estofado.
- estofes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: estofes.
- estofando — The gerund of estofar is estofando: estoy estofando. The participle estofado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does estofar mean in English?
Estofar means to stew, to braise. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo estofo la carne. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is estofar regular?
Yes. Estofar is a regular -ar verb: estofo, estofas, estofa. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the difference between estofar and guisar?
Estofar means to stew, while guisar means to stew, to cook. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use estofar when you mean to stew, as in Yo estofo la carne, and use guisar for to stew, to cook. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I stew” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo estofé a fuego lento. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo estofaba con verduras. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he estofado la carne.
How do I practise estofar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the estofar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Estofar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for estofar.
- Estofar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for estofar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Macerar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with estofar.
- Marinar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with estofar.
- Gratinar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with estofar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.