Estar in the past tense
Can anyone explain estar in the perfect preterite?
5 Answers
Hi beagles2013. Well, your question isn’t very explicit. I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking for. Yet, I can go over a few things that came to mind.
Perfect preterite? There is a past perfect tense (in both English and Spanish) which might be referred to as the preterite perfect or como el pretérito pluscuamperfecto. Careful here! Some sources, en español, list one of the tenses as “pretérito perfecto.” But this does not correspond to the past perfect in English; but rather, the present perfect.
You might also keep in mind that, in grammar, the word perfect does not mean “without error.” Rather, it refers to “completed action.”
Also, it easier to understand the past perfect if you first contrast it with the present perfect:
The present perfect is usually used to refer to recent news or, more often, something that has happened at least once but may happen yet again (in both English and Spanish).
I have seen this movie. (I might see it again.)
Complete verb: have (auxiliary or helping word) + seen (past participle form of “to see”).
(Yo) he visto esta película.
Complete verb: he (auxiliary or helping word) + visto (past participle form of “ver”).
Caution again here! “To have” as a main verb = tener; “To have” as an auxiliary verb is not tener! “To have” as an auxiliary verb = haber.
So, you conjugate haber in the simple present (present perfect) and add the past participle form of your main verb.
As far as the past perfect is concerned, the reference is to some (completed) action that occurred and was finished (does not have the possibility of another occurrence as is the case with the present perfect) before some other action. Again, this is the same in both English and in Spanish.
I had finished the book before you arrived.
Complete verb in the main clause: had (auxiliary or helping word in the past tense) + finished (past participle form of “to finish”).
(Yo) había terminado el libro antes de que llegaste.
Complete verb in the main clause: había (auxiliary or helping word in the past tense) + terminado (past participle form of “terminar”).
Here, you conjugate haber in the imperfect past and add the past participle of the main verb. This is the pattern in the past perfect. Thankfully, it is the same pattern in both English and in Spanish.
The main thing to remember is: había (or habías, habíamos, etc.) + past participle = the past perfect.
I’d also recommend using the book 501 Spanish Verbs or this online conjugator as you study: 123 Teach Me.
Is this the type of example you mean? It's the Past Perfect....
- Te había estado esperando dos horas..... (I had been waiting two hours for you...).
According to my research the "Preterite Perfect" is no longer used much:
The preterite perfect, sometimes known as the pretérito anterior, is rarely used today except for literary effect; you are unlikely to hear it in everyday speech. It most often follows a time [removed]such as cuando or después que) and is formed by using the preterite of haber followed by past participle. It is usually translated to English the same way as the past perfect.
Cuando el niño se hubo dormido, el cura me pidió permiso para dejarme. When the boy had fallen asleep, the priest asked me for permission to leave me.
Tan pronto hubo escuchado aquellas palabras, salió corriendo hacia la plaza. As soon as he had heard those words, he left running toward the plaza.
Beagles said:
only in the simple preterit form
A las ocho estuve en la tienda (I was in the store at eight).
Estuvieron muy enojados cuando supieron la verdad (They were very angry when they learned the truth).
I appreciate the information all. I am actually looking for how it is used.And only in the simple preterit form
Yes Estar in the preterite ( I have never heard of perfect preterite) is
Preterite:
yo estuve
tú estuviste
él/usted estuvo
nosotros estuvimos
vosotros estuvisteis
ellos/ustedes estuvieron
http://www.conjugation.org is a great tool
It is also the same as ir preterite.
