Estar conjugation

Estar means "to be (state, location)". Here it is in every main tense, with real example sentences and a free checker for your own.

Estar changes form (an irregular, stem-changing or spelling-changing form) in the present, preterite and present subjunctive. Juntos teaches Latin American Spanish, where ustedes replaces vosotros; the vosotros forms are shown for completeness.

Estar conjugation tables

Jump to: present · preterite · imperfect · future · conditional · present subjunctive · present perfect · commands (imperative)

Estar in real sentences

Example sentences from the Juntos exercise bank, each checked before learners see it.

Present

• ¿Dónde estás ahora?
  Where are you now?
• Estoy bien, pero estoy cansado.
  I am well, but I am tired.

Preterite

• Ayer estuve en casa.
  Yesterday I was at home.
• Estuve en la oficina hasta las cinco.
  I was at the office until five o'clock.

Imperfect

• El mercado estaba lleno de gente cuando llegué.
  The market was full of people when I arrived.
• Estábamos en el mercado cuando empezó a llover.
  We were at the market when it started to rain.

Mistakes learners make with estar

• Estar is for states and places: estoy cansado, está en casa. Soy cansado says you are a tiring person.
• Events are the exception and take ser: la fiesta es en mi casa.
• The accent matters: está means "is", esta means "this".

Write your own sentence with estar

Next step for estar: the ser vs estar course, free. Not sure which past tense to use? The Spanish past tense course explains preterite vs imperfect with practice. Conjugate any other verb with the free Spanish conjugator, browse all 72 verb pages, or check any text with the free Spanish grammar checker.

Related verbs

Previous: ser · Next: tener · all verbs

• ser conjugation
  to be (identity, traits)
• dar conjugation
  to give
• llegar conjugation
  to arrive
• almorzar conjugation
  to have lunch
• pensar conjugation
  to think
• jugar conjugation
  to play
• empezar conjugation
  to start
• encontrar conjugation
  to find

More from Juntos: free Spanish grammar checker · Spanish spell and accent checker · AI Spanish tutor · practice Spanish with friends · Spanish games · all grammar courses · all practice scenarios · common Spanish mistakes · Spanish false friends · Spot the slip quiz · Spanish verb conjugations · verb conjugator · best AI Spanish tutors compared · Duolingo alternatives · about Juntos · home