Exportar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

exportar means to export, and it is one of those verbs that shows up everywhere once you start listening for it. It is a regular -ar verb verb, and this page puts it to work: real example sentences in several tenses, grouped by use, two short passages that show the verb in context, the mistakes learners make with it, a ten-question quiz and answers to common questions. If you only learn one sentence, make it «Yo exporto todos los días» — I export every day. The rest of this page builds out from there, tense by tense, so you can use exportar the way native speakers do — in the present for habits, in the past for finished events, and in the subjunctive after wishes and doubts.

Exportar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

The present is where exportar lives most of the time — routines, facts and what is happening now:

  1. Yo exporto todos los días. — I export every day.
  2. Tú exportas en el trabajo. — You export at work.
  3. Él exporta con mi familia. — He exports with my family.
  4. Nosotros exportamos por la mañana. — We export in the morning.

Talking about the past

In the past, choose the preterite for a finished event and the imperfect for a habit or background:

  1. Ayer yo exporté por la tarde. — Yesterday I exported in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo exportaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to export every day.
  3. La semana pasada él exportó dos veces. — Last week He exported twice.

Plans and things already done

The future, the conditional and the present perfect round out the picture — plans, hypotheticals and recent events:

  1. Mañana yo exportaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will export without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo exportaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would export right now.
  3. Hoy yo he exportado dos veces. — Today I have exported twice.

More everyday uses

The subjunctive, the imperative and the progressive cover wishes, commands and actions in progress:

  1. Espero que tú exportes pronto. — I hope You export soon.
  2. ¡exporta, por favor! — Export, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy exportando. — Right now I am exporting.

Exportar in context

A short dialogue

Ana: «Yo exporto en el trabajo.» — I export at work. Luis: «¡Qué bien! Yo exporto con mi familia.» — I export with my family. Ana: «Mañana yo exportaré sin falta.» — Tomorrow I will export without fail. Luis: «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo exportaría ahora mismo.» — If I had more time, I would export right now. Ana: «Hoy yo he exportado dos veces.» — Today I have exported twice.

A short paragraph

Ayer yo exporté por la tarde. Antes, yo exportaba todos los días. Hoy yo he exportado dos veces. Mañana yo exportaré sin falta.

Yesterday I exported in the afternoon. In the past, I used to export every day. Today I have exported twice. Tomorrow I will export without fail.

Common mistakes with exportar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo exportaba.

Right: Ayer yo exporté.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, exporté. The imperfect exportaba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.

2. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: Espero que tú exportas.

Right: Espero que tú exportes.

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: exportes, not the indicative exportas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No exporta.

Right: No exportes.

Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no exportes. The affirmative exporta can never follow no.

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo exportar todos los días.

Right: Yo exporto todos los días.

The infinitive exportar names the action; it never works as the main verb of a sentence. Conjugate it for the person: yo exporto.

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He exportando.

Right: He exportado.

The perfect tenses use haber plus the past participle: he exportado. The gerund exportando goes with estar for actions in progress («Estoy exportando»), never with haber.

Quiz: exportar in use

Test yourself on exportar in use. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the vosotros/as form of exportar in the present indicative?

- (a) exportáis
- (b) exportas
- (c) exporta
- (d) exporto

2. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of exportar in the preterite?

- (a) exportaron
- (b) exportó
- (c) exportaste
- (d) exporté

3. What is the yo form of exportar in the future?

- (a) exportará
- (b) exportarás
- (c) exportaré
- (d) exportaremos

4. What is the tú form of exportar in the present perfect?

- (a) ha exportado
- (b) hemos exportado
- (c) he exportado
- (d) has exportado

5. What is the vosotros/as form of exportar in the imperfect?

- (a) exportabais
- (b) exportaba
- (c) exportabas
- (d) exportaba

6. What is the gerund of exportar?

- (a) exportado
- (b) exportar
- (c) exportando
- (d) exporto

7. What is the past participle of exportar?

- (a) exportando
- (b) exporté
- (c) exportado
- (d) exportar

8. Which sentence uses exportar correctly?

- (a) *Yo exportas todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo exportar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo exporta todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo exporto todos los días.* — I export every day.

9. Which sentence uses exportar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo exportaba por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo exporto por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo exportar por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo exporté por la tarde.* — Yesterday I exported in the afternoon.

10. What does exportar mean?

- (a) to explore
- (b) to examine
- (c) to express
- (d) to export

Answer key

1. (a) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of exportar is exportáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the preterite, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of exportar is exportaron. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (c) — In the future, the yo form of exportar is exportaré. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (d) — In the present perfect, the tú form of exportar is has exportado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the imperfect, the vosotros/as form of exportar is exportabais. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — The gerund of exportar is exportando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy exportando». 7. (c) — The past participle of exportar is exportado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he exportado». 8. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of exportar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of exportar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (d) — exportar means «to export».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I export' in Spanish?

Say «Yo exporto todos los días». That is the present-tense yo form, and it is the sentence you will use most with this verb.

How do you say 'I exported' about yesterday?

Say «Ayer yo exporté por la tarde». The preterite is the tense for a finished event: yesterday, last week, last night.

Is exportar reflexive?

No — exportar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo exporto, tú exportas, él exporta. If you see a -se form of a similar verb, that is a different verb with its own meaning.

Which tense do learners find hardest with exportar?

Most learners struggle with choosing between the preterite and the imperfect, not with the forms themselves. Use the preterite (exporté) for a single finished event and the imperfect (exportaba) for habits and background. After that, the subjunctive is the next step.

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