Spanish 101 · Verb conjugation
Conjugate estar
to be (location/condition) · ar-verb
Using this verb
This verb belongs to the ar-verb family in the charts below. Use the present for habits and facts, the preterite for completed events in the past, and the imperfect for ongoing or repeated past situations — your instructor’s examples win if they differ slightly.
Listen for estar in class and in audio: match the ending to the subject pronoun you hear or read, then check your agreement (singular/plural, person).
Yo estoy todos los días.I be (location/condition) every day. (present habit)
Ayer yo estuve.Yesterday I did — preterite for a completed moment.
Conjugation tables
| yo | estoy |
|---|---|
| tú | estás |
| él/ella | está |
| nosotros | estamos |
| vosotros | estáis |
| ellos/ellas | están |
| yo | estuve |
|---|---|
| tú | estuviste |
| él/ella | estuvo |
| nosotros | estuvimos |
| vosotros | estuvisteis |
| ellos/ellas | estuvieron |
| yo | estaba |
|---|---|
| tú | estabas |
| él/ella | estaba |
| nosotros | estábamos |
| vosotros | estabais |
| ellos/ellas | estaban |
FAQ
How do you conjugate estar in Spanish?
Use the three tables on this page: presente, pretérito, and imperfecto. Match the ending to each subject pronoun.
Is estar regular or irregular?
If the forms follow the usual endings for its group, treat it as regular in your course; if they look like memorized exceptions (ser, ir, stem-changers, etc.), your instructor will flag them on exams.
What tense uses which form?
Present for now and habits; preterite for completed past actions; imperfect for ongoing or repeated past and many descriptions. Your textbook examples refine the split.