Irregular Preterite: Est

Most regular -ar verbs have predictable patterns. Not our friend estar. To use it in the preterite, you need a new stem. The stem is the foundation of the verb. For estar, the stem changes from est- to estuv-. Think of the "uv" as a secret code for the past. Every single person (I, you, we, they) uses this new stem. You won't find any accents here either. Most preterite verbs love their accent marks. The "uv" group is the exception to that rule. It is cleaner and simpler once you memorize the stem. You just take estuv- and glue on special endings. These endings are shared with other irregular verbs like tener. If you learn one, you basically learn them all. It is a "buy one, get five free" deal in grammar. This pattern applies to every situation where the action is finished. If you were at the mall and now you are home, use this. It marks a completed moment in time.

1. 1Start with the infinitive verb estar.
2. 2Throw away the -ar ending completely.
3. 3Replace it with the irregular stem estuv-.
4. 4Add the special irregular preterite endings.
5. 5For yo, add -e to get estuve.
6. 6For tú, add -iste to get estuviste.
7. 7For él/ella/usted, add -o to get estuvo.
8. 8For nosotros, add -imos to get estuvimos.
9. 9For vosotros, add -isteis to get estuvisteis.
10. 10For ellos/ellas/ustedes, add -ieron to get estuvieron.
11. 11Notice there are zero accent marks on any of these.
12. 12Double-check that you used a v and not a b.

Use this when you talk about specific locations in the past. Imagine you are at a job interview. They ask where you were last year. You say, "Estuve en Londres por seis meses." It shows the time started and ended. Use it for temporary states that are now over. Maybe you were sick on Tuesday. You would say, "Estuve enfermo el martes." Now you are healthy and back at work. It is perfect for reactions to events. "Estuvo muy divertida la fiesta." The party is over, and that was your state of mind. Use it when you want to emphasize a completed duration. "Estuvimos en el restaurante por tres horas." You are telling the listener exactly how long it lasted. It acts like a closed box in time. Everything inside the box is finished and done. It is also used in the "Preterite Progressive." This is for actions that were happening when something else hit. "Estuve caminando cuando empezó a llover." It adds a sense of drama to your stories.

Don't use estuv- for descriptions without a clear end. If you want to say "I was a happy child," use the imperfect. That would be estaba. The preterite is too "final" for childhood memories. Think of the preterite as a camera snapshot. Think of the imperfect as a long home movie. If you are describing the weather as background info, skip estuve. Use estaba to set the scene for a story. "Estaba nublado" (It was cloudy) sets the mood. "Estuvo nublado por una hora" (It was cloudy for an hour) is a specific fact. Don't use estar at all for permanent traits. If you were tall or smart, you need the verb ser. Using estuve for personality traits sounds very strange. It would imply you were smart for a second and then stopped. Also, avoid this if the action is still happening now. If you are still at the park, just use the present tense.

Accents are the number one trap for learners. Many people write estuvó because regular verbs have accents there. Resist the urge! Irregular preterites like estuvo are accent-free zones. Another mistake is using the wrong stem. Some try to say estaré or esté. Those are future and subjunctive forms. Your brain might try to take a shortcut. Remind it that the "uv" is mandatory for the past. Mixing up estuve and fui is also common. Remember that estuve is about location and states. Fui is about identity or going somewhere. If you say "Estuve a la playa," it sounds like "I was located to the beach." You want "Fui a la playa" (I went) or "Estuve en la playa" (I was at). Finally, watch out for the v. In Spanish, b and v sound similar. But writing estube will make your teacher's eyes twitch. It is always a v in this group.

Estar has some close cousins in the irregular world. Tener (to have) becomes tuve. Andar (to walk/hang out) becomes anduve. They all follow the exact same ending pattern. If you can conjugate estuve, you can conjugate tuve. It is a mental template you can reuse. Compare this to ser (to be). Ser becomes fui in the preterite. Fui is for "who" you were. Estuve is for "where" or "how" you were. Think of ser as your DNA and estar as your GPS. Another contrast is with the verb hacer (to do/make). Hacer becomes hice, which is also irregular but lacks the "uv." The "uv" group is its own special club. They are the cool kids of the preterite world. They don't follow the rules, but they are very consistent with each other.