Preterite - Irregular u-stem Verbs

u-stem verbs

One group of irregular preterite verbs have a u as part of the stem of the verb. Four of the verbs in this group are estar (to be), tener (to have), poner (to put) and construir (to construct). The tables below shows how to form these verbs in the preterite tense.

estar (full conjugation)


			
				yo
				estuve
				(I was)
				  
			
			
				tú
				estuviste
				(you were)
				 
			
			
				Ud./él/ella
				estuvo
				(you/he/she was)
				 
			
			
				nosotros
				estuvimos
				(we were)
				 
			
			
				vosotros
				estuvisteis
				(you guys were)
				 
			
			
				Uds./ellos/ ellas
				estuvieron
				(you all/they were)

tener (full conjugation)


			
				yo
				tuve
				(I had)
				 
			
			
				tú
				tuviste
				(you had)
				 
			
			
				Ud./él/ella
				tuvo
				(you/he/she had)
				 
			
			
				nosotros
				tuvimos
				(we had)
				 
			
			
				vosotros
				tuvisteis
				(you guys had)
				 
			
			
				Uds./ellos/ ellas
				tuvieron
				(you all/they had)

poner (full conjugation)


			
				yo
				puse
                                (I put)
			
			
				tú
				pusiste
                                (you put)
			
			
				Ud./él/ella
				puso
                                (you/he/she put)
			
			
				nosotros
				pusimos
                                (we put)
			
			
				vosotros
				pusisteis
                                (you guys put)
			
			
				Uds./ellos/ ellas
				pusieron
                                (you all/they put)

construir (full conjugation)



   yo
   construí
   (I built)


   tú
   construiste
   (you built)


   Ud./él/ella
   construyó
   (you/he/she built)


   nosotros (as)
   construímos
   (we built)


   vosotros (as)
   construisteis
   (you built)


   Uds./ellos/ ellas
   construyeron
   (you all/they built)