eknowing how to use Estar in preterite is essential for Spanish learners who want to describe situations, emotions or locations in the past. The Spanish verb for “to be,” which has two distinct incarnations in Spanish, reflects an oddity in the preterite tense when we want to use it for discussing events that have come to completion in the past or just happened. Similar to “ser,” estar as preterite is when you were something on specific time/moment.
This guide breaks down estar preterite conjugation, explanation, examples, and comparisons to other tenses to help your Spanish flow naturally.
What Does “Estar” Mean?
“Estar” is “to be,” but it denotes temporary conditions or states, like emotions, health and locations. It is often contrasted with “ser,” which is used in reference to identity or traits deemed to be permanent or innate.
Examples in present tense:
- Estoy cansado. (I am tired.)
- Ella está en casa. (She is at home.)
To do talk about temporary conditions or locations in the past, use the preterite tense of estar.
When to Use Estar in Preterite
Preterit of EstarThe preterit tense of estar is used to discuss things that were true or completed a specific time in the past. It usually tells us where someone was or what they felt during some past moment.
Common scenarios:
Feelings or Emotions That Are Fleeting
- I was happy in holidays.
(I was having a good time on vacation.)
Health Conditions
- Estuviste enfermo ayer.
(You were sick yesterday.)
Location at a Specific Time
- They were in Madrid last week.
(They were in Madrid a week ago.)
Events From a Moment Certain Things That Were Done at a Certain Moment
- It was a good meeting.
(The meeting was entertaining enough.)
Time Markers That Signal Use of the Preterite
Some time phrases signal the preterite tense with “estar,” as they refer to actions in the past that are over and done with.
Examples:
- Ayer (yesterday)
- La semana pasada (last week)
- En 2022 (in 2022)
- Hace una hora (an hour ago)
- El mes pasado (last month)
Example sentence:
I was at the beach last month. (I was at the beach last month.)
Se expresiones de tiempo que ya denotan un momento entiempo terminado, por lo que la forma de estar en pretérito se justifica.
Sample Sentences With Estar in the Preterite tense
Below are example sentences that reveal estar in preterite being used in different sentences:
I have been very busy last week.
(I was very busy last week.)
¿Dónde estuviste anoche?
(Where were you last night?)
The child had been very quiet in class.
(The student was very quiet during class.)
We were at the conference all day.
(We had been at the conference all day.)
My friends were tired after the trip.
(My buddies were worn out from the trip.)
These are past with the idea of closed and temporary past actions–ideal for the preterit of estar.
The Most Common Issues with Estar in the Preterite
Using the wrong form:
- Incorrect: Yo estuvo cansado.
- Correct: Yo estuve cansado.
While you can certainly use ser instead of estar (or vice versa):
- Wrong: The wedding was in the garden.
- “The wedding was in the garden.” Right: La boda fue en el jardín.(“Ser” would be used for events, even for location.)
Fist and fury of the poor.
- crear It was being (imperfect) implies continuous or habitual actions.
- Estuve (preterite) means a the specific, complete state of it.
Estar in Preterite (Preterit in Spanish) Vs. Estar in Imperfect.
Actions in progress, habitual actions and situations in the background
- I was at home when you phoned. (I was home when you called.)
- Knowing how to differentiate between these is very important if you want to speak Spanish the way it is spoke.
Practice Quiz
- Now, let’s see how much you’ve learned by answering a few fill-in-the-blank questions which use estar in preterite.
- Yo __ pasar noches en el hospital.
Where______you during the game?
- They __ very happy with the results.
- We __ in Colombia last summer.
Answers:
- estuve
- estuviste
- estuvieron
- estuvimos
Final Thoughts
Doing that for preteito is the first thing you should learn when studying Spanish is how things were in a point of the past. You couldn’t ask for an app which more properly captures the past emotions, locations, and actuality. So, by memorizing its exceptions, or irregular forms, and practicing by using it in real-life instances, you’ll be more sure of yourself in using it properly.
So next time you need to tell someone where you were or how you felt yesterday, reach for the proper form of estar in preterite — that’s what’ll help you sound like a local in the language.