isteis

Isteis is the second-person plural preterite ending for -er and -ir verbs in Modern Spanish, used with the pronoun vosotros. It marks a completed action in the past carried out by “you all.”

Formation and examples: In the preterite, vosotros forms for -er and -ir verbs end in -isteis, while -ar verbs use -asteis. For example: comer → comisteis, vivir → vivisteis, hablar → hablasteis. This ending distinguishes the vosotros past tense from other persons in Spanish and is part of the regular preterite system, though some verbs may have irregular stems in the preterite (e.g., hacer → hicisteis, querer → quisisteis).

Etymology and relation to other forms: Isteis derives from the Latin -istis, the second-person plural perfect ending. In the evolution to Spanish, the -isteis form was retained for -er and -ir verbs, while -asteis was retained for -ar verbs. The ending is specifically tied to the vosotros form in the past tense.

Regional usage and alternatives: Isteis is common in Spain and in communities or texts that preserve the vosotros paradigm. In much of Latin America, where the vosotros form is not used, ustedes replaces vosotros, and the corresponding past tense forms are third-person plural (comieron, vivieron), not comisteis or vivisteis. The presence or absence of vosotros affects whether this ending appears in written or spoken Spanish.

Usage notes: The preterite with -isteis is used to narrate actions completed at a definite time in the past. It is typically contrasted with the imperfect tense, which describes ongoing or habitual past actions; the choice depends on temporal framing and emphasis.