Filetear Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

filetear means "to fillet" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows filetear in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of filetear, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.

Example sentences with filetear

Everyday use

Filetear means to fillet. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.

  1. Yo fileteo el pescado — "I fillet the fish"
  2. Él filetea la carne — "He fillets the meat"
  3. Yo fileteé con un cuchillo afilado — "I filleted with a sharp knife"
  4. Yo fileteaba el pescado — "I used to fillet the fish"
  5. Yo filetearé la carne — "I will fillet the meat"
  6. Yo he fileteado con un cuchillo afilado — "I have filleted with a sharp knife"

In the past and the future

The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.

  1. Él fileteó con un cuchillo afilado — "He filleted with a sharp knife"
  2. Él fileteaba el pescado — "He used to fillet the fish"
  3. Tú filetearás la carne — "You will fillet the meat"
  4. Yo filetearía con un cuchillo afilado — "I would fillet with a sharp knife"
  5. Yo había fileteado el pescado — "I had filleted the fish"
  6. Nosotros fileteamos la carne — "We fillet the meat"

Filetear in conversation

The two dialogues below show filetear in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú fileteas el pescado? — "Do you fillet the fish?"
  • Sí, yo fileteo el pescado cada día. — "Yes, I fillet the fish every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú fileteaste la carne? — "And yesterday? Did you fillet the meat?"
  • Sí, yo fileteé la carne. — "Yes, I filleted the meat."
  • Mañana, yo filetearé con un cuchillo afilado también. — "Tomorrow, I will fillet with a sharp knife too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros fileteáis el pescado? — "Do you fillet the fish?"
  • Sí, nosotros fileteamos el pescado los fines de semana. — "Yes, We fillet the fish at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos filetean la carne? — "And them? Do they fillet the meat?"
  • Sí, ellos filetean la carne también. — "Yes, They fillet the meat too."
  • Mañana nosotros filetearemos la carne otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will fillet the meat again."

Useful phrases with filetear

Four patterns you can use with filetear in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a filetear el pescado. — "I am going to fillet the fish."
  • Quiero filetear la carne. — "I want to fillet the meat."
  • Me gusta filetear con un cuchillo afilado. — "I like to fillet with a sharp knife."
  • Acabo de filetear el pescado. — "I have just filleted the fish."

Common mistakes with filetear in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos filetea el pescado.
  • Right: Ellos filetean el pescado.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form filetean. The singular filetea belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo fileteé.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo fileteo.
  • Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.

Mistake 3

  • Wrong: Yo soy fileteado la carne.
  • Right: Yo he fileteado la carne.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he fileteado, has fileteado, ha fileteado.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo fileteo.
  • Right: Ayer, yo fileteé.
  • Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (fileteé). The present (fileteo) is for habits and for now.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él filetea el pescado.
  • Right: Espero que él filetee el pescado.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: filetee. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: filetear in use

Ten questions on filetear across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the I form of filetear in the present tense?

  • (a) ha fileteado
  • (b) habríais fileteado
  • (c) fileteo
  • (d) había fileteado

Answer: (c) fileteo. The I form in the present is fileteo.

2. What is the he / she form of filetear in the present tense?

  • (a) fileteabas
  • (b) habríais fileteado
  • (c) filetearemos
  • (d) filetea

Answer: (d) filetea. The he / she form in the present is filetea.

3. What is the he / she form of filetear in the preterite tense?

  • (a) fileteó
  • (b) fileteé
  • (c) fileteaste
  • (d) filetearíais

Answer: (a) fileteó. The he / she form in the preterite is fileteó.

4. What is the I form of filetear in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) filetean
  • (b) han fileteado
  • (c) habrán fileteado
  • (d) fileteaba

Answer: (d) fileteaba. The I form in the imperfect is fileteaba.

5. What is the I form of filetear in the future tense?

  • (a) habéis fileteado
  • (b) fileteáis
  • (c) filetearé
  • (d) habrían fileteado

Answer: (c) filetearé. The I form in the future is filetearé.

6. What is the I form of filetear in the present perfect tense?

  • (a) habrán fileteado
  • (b) filetearé
  • (c) filetea
  • (d) he fileteado

Answer: (d) he fileteado. The I form in the present perfect is he fileteado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el pescado.

  • (a) fileteen
  • (b) filetees
  • (c) fileteéis
  • (d) filetee

Answer: (d) filetee. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is filetee.

8. What is the we form of filetear in the present tense?

  • (a) habías fileteado
  • (b) fileteasteis
  • (c) habrías fileteado
  • (d) fileteamos

Answer: (d) fileteamos. The we form in the present is fileteamos.

9. What is the I form of filetear in the preterite tense?

  • (a) filetearemos
  • (b) fileteé
  • (c) había fileteado
  • (d) fileteará

Answer: (b) fileteé. The I form in the preterite is fileteé.

10. What is the they form of filetear in the present tense?

  • (a) filetea
  • (b) filetean
  • (c) fileteaban
  • (d) filetearéis

Answer: (b) filetean. The they form in the present is filetean.

Frequently asked questions about filetear

Is filetear regular?

Yes. Filetear is a regular -ar verb: fileteo, fileteas, filetea. See the full conjugation of filetear for every tense.

What is the past participle of filetear?

The past participle is fileteado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he fileteado. The gerund is fileteando, used with estar: estoy fileteando.

How do I say “I fillet” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo fileteé la carne. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo fileteaba con un cuchillo afilado.

How can I practise filetear?

Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.

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