The preterite of estudiar is used to express when someone studied at a specific time or for a defined period in the past. For example, when you want to say “I studied for three hours last night” – “Estudié por tres horas anoche.”
This is a regular -ar verb in the preterite tense. It follows the standard -ar conjugation pattern without any stem changes or spelling adjustments.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Estudiar (to study) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | estudié |
| Tú | estudiaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | estudió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | estudiamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | estudiasteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | estudiaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Estudiar (to study) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Estudiar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of estudiar refers to completed periods of study.
To study (completed period): Describes a finished period of studying, for example Estudié toda la noche (I studied all night), or Estudiaron juntos para el examen (They studied together for the exam).
To examine/analyze: Indicates completing analysis of something, for example Estudiaron el caso detenidamente (They studied the case thoroughly).
Examples
Examples of Estudiar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Estudié toda la noche para el examen. (I studied all night for the exam.)
¿Dónde estudiaste medicina? (Where did you study medicine?)
Estudió la situación cuidadosamente antes de decidir. (He studied the situation carefully before deciding.)
Estudiamos juntos en la biblioteca. (We studied together at the library.)
Los investigadores estudiaron el fenómeno durante años. (The researchers studied the phenomenon for years.)
Estudié español en Argentina. (I studied Spanish in Argentina.)
¿Estudiaste para el examen de matemáticas? (Did you study for the math exam?)
El comité estudió la propuesta detenidamente. (The committee studied the proposal thoroughly.)
Estudiamos el mapa antes de partir. (We studied the map before leaving.)
Los científicos estudiaron los efectos del cambio climático. (The scientists studied the effects of climate change.)
Estudié piano durante cinco años. (I studied piano for five years.)
¿Por qué no estudiaste para el examen? (Why didn’t you study for the exam?)
El arquitecto estudió el terreno antes de diseñar. (The architect studied the terrain before designing.)
Estudiamos el comportamiento de los delfines. (We studied the behavior of dolphins.)
Los expertos estudiaron las causas del accidente. (The experts studied the causes of the accident.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Estudiar (to study) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo estudié | I studied |
| Tú estudiaste | You studied |
| Él / Ella / Usted estudió | He / She / You (formal) studied |
| Nosotros / Nosotras estudiamos | We studied |
| Vosotros / Vosotras estudiasteis | You all studied |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes estudiaron | They / You all (formal) studied |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.