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Estar Preterite Practice

Estar (to be (state)) in the preterite: 14 free exercises with an explanation after every answer, plus the full conjugation table.

14 exercisesIrregularA1 – A2 level
IWhat to watch for

In the preterite, estar switches to the strong stem estuv- and takes the irregular endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron: estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron. None of these forms carries a written accent — estuve and estuvo are stressed on the stem.

Two traps dominate. First, spelling: the stem is written with v, so estube and estubo are wrong. Second, the estuve vs. estaba choice — use estuve for a stay or state seen as a closed, completed block of time (ayer, dos horas, todo el día), not for open background description.

IIConjugation
estarPreterite
yo
estuve
estuviste
él / ella / usted
estuvo
nosotros
estuvimos
vosotros
estuvisteis
ellos / ustedes
estuvieron
Irregular yo form (estoy), accented present endings, and the strong preterite stem estuv-.
IIIPractice exercises

Practice.

Answer first, then read the explanation. Don't skip it — that's the whole point.

Exercise 01 of 14Tag: Irregular stem
Fill in the blank

Ayer yo _____ en casa de mi hermana toda la tarde. (estar)

Yesterday I was at my sister's house all afternoon.

Exercise 02 of 14Tag: Tú form
Fill in the blank

¿Dónde _____ tú anoche? Te llamé tres veces. (estar)

Where were you last night? I called you three times.

Exercise 03 of 14Tag: Tense contrast
Fill in the blank

Marcos _____ enfermo la semana pasada y no vino a clase. (estar)

Marcos was sick last week and didn't come to class.

Exercise 04 of 14Tag: Nosotros form
Fill in the blank

Nosotros _____ dos horas en la fila del banco ayer. (estar)

We were in the line at the bank for two hours yesterday.

Exercise 05 of 14Tag: Irregular stem
Fill in the blank

Mis primos _____ en Perú el verano pasado. (estar)

My cousins were in Peru last summer.

Exercise 06 of 14Tag: Completed state
Fill in the blank

El lunes yo _____ muy nervioso antes de la entrevista. (estar)

On Monday I was very nervous before the interview.

Exercise 07 of 14Tag: Spelling change
Fill in the blank

La tienda _____ cerrada todo el fin de semana por reformas. (estar)

The store was closed all weekend for renovations.

Exercise 08 of 14Tag: Tú form
Fill in the blank

_____ muy amable con mis abuelos durante la visita. (estar)

You were very kind to my grandparents during the visit.

Exercise 09 of 14Tag: Irregular stem
Fill in the blank

Los obreros _____ trabajando hasta la medianoche el viernes. (estar)

The workers were working until midnight on Friday.

Exercise 10 of 14Tag: Nosotros form
Fill in the blank

Ana y yo _____ a punto de perder el vuelo esta mañana. (estar)

Ana and I were about to miss the flight this morning.

Exercise 11 of 14Tag: Vosotros form
Fill in the blank

¿Vosotros _____ en la boda de Carmen el sábado? (estar)

Were you all at Carmen's wedding on Saturday?

Exercise 12 of 14Tag: Completed state
Fill in the blank

El concierto _____ increíble; el público no dejó de aplaudir. (estar)

The concert was incredible; the audience wouldn't stop applauding.

Exercise 13 of 14Tag: Tense contrast
Fill in the blank

Anoche yo _____ despierto hasta las tres terminando el informe. (estar)

Last night I was awake until three finishing the report.

Exercise 14 of 14Tag: Spelling change
Fill in the blank

Las ventanas _____ abiertas durante toda la tormenta. (estar)

The windows were open during the whole storm.

Every answer is explained

Not just a green check. A short paragraph telling you why.

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