Estar Preterite Conjugation

By LanguaTalk Last updated: 21 Oct 2022

Use the chart, examples, and video below to learn how to conjugate estar in the preterite tense ("pretérito perfecto simple").

Estar: Preterite Conjugation Chart

Here are some examples of conjugating estar in preterite form:

Las vi cuando estuve en Toronto.

I saw those when I was in Toronto.

Estuvo allí durante 15 años.

He was there for 15 years.

Pero no llovió mientras estuvimos allí.

But it didn't rain whilst we were there.

Estar is an irregular verb, particularly in the preterite tense!
Don’t worry about memorising all the conjugations perfectly. Through speaking and listening on a regular basis, you’ll learn to conjugate verbs correctly most of the time even if you don't remember the rules and exceptions off by heart.
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Here's a reminder of what the Spanish personal pronouns mean:

yo = I
tú = you (informal)
él/ella = he/she
nosotros/nosotras = we
vosotros/vosotras = you (plural, informal, Spain only)
ellos/ellas = they
Usted = you (singular formal) & ustedes = you (plural formal). These are used much more in Latin America than in Spain - the latter being more informal.