Filmar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

filmar means “to film” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Filmar means to film, to record moving images with a camera. It is used for films, documentaries, weddings and videos on a phone, and it is a fully regular verb. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of filmar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the filmar present tense page.

filmar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo filmo la película en el desierto. — “I film the film in the desert.”
  2. Él filma la boda de su hermana. — “He films his sister's wedding.”
  3. Nosotros filmamos un documental sobre el mar. — “We film a documentary about the sea.”
  4. Ellos filman el concierto con el móvil. — “They film the concert with my phone.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo filmé la boda de su hermana. — “Yesterday, I filmed his sister's wedding.”
  2. Antes, nosotros filmábamos un documental sobre el mar. — “Before, we used to film a documentary about the sea.”
  3. Él filmó el concierto con el móvil. — “He filmed the concert with my phone.”
  4. Yo ya había filmado la película en el desierto antes de salir. — “I had already filmed the film in the desert before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú filmarás la película en el desierto. — “Tomorrow, you will film the film in the desert.”
  2. Yo filmaría la boda de su hermana si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would film his sister's wedding if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha filmado un documental sobre el mar. — “He has filmed a documentary about the sea.”
  4. Espero que él filme el concierto con el móvil. — “I hope he films the concert with my phone.”

filmar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use filmar the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about their day.

  • Ana: Yo filmo la película en el desierto. — “I film the film in the desert.”
  • Bea: Él filma la boda de su hermana. — “He films his sister's wedding.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo filmé la boda de su hermana. — “Yesterday, I filmed his sister's wedding.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú filmarás la película en el desierto. — “Tomorrow, you will film the film in the desert.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros filmamos un documental sobre el mar. — “We film a documentary about the sea.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros filmábamos un documental sobre el mar. — “Before, we used to film a documentary about the sea.”
  • Luis: Yo filmaría la boda de su hermana si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would film his sister's wedding if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él filme el concierto con el móvil. — “I hope he films the concert with my phone.”

A short scene with filmar

A short scene shows how filmar works across the day. In the morning: Filmo la película en el desierto. In the afternoon: Filma la boda de su hermana. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, filmé un documental sobre el mar. And tomorrow: Mañana, filmaré el concierto con el móvil. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how filmar sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with filmar

The errors learners actually make with filmar, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo filma la película en el desierto.

✓ Correct: Yo filmo la película en el desierto.

The person matters: filma is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is filmo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Ayer yo filmo la boda de su hermana.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo filmé la boda de su hermana.

The present and the preterite are different tenses: filmo is happening now, while filmé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

✗ Treating filmar and grabar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Filmar means to film, while grabar means to record, sound or video.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: filmar fits sentences such as Filmo la película en el desierto, while grabar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy filmado la boda de su hermana.

✓ Correct: Yo he filmado la boda de su hermana.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he filmado, has filmado, ha filmado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo filmé un documental sobre el mar todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo filmaba un documental sobre el mar todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (filmaba), not the preterite. The preterite (filmé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: filmar in use

Ten questions on filmar — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la boda de su hermana. — “He/she films his sister's wedding.”

  • a) filma
  • b) filmo
  • c) filmas
  • d) filmamos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ un documental sobre el mar. — “Yesterday, I filmed a documentary about the sea.”

  • a) filmaste
  • b) filmó
  • c) filmaron
  • d) filmé

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ el concierto con el móvil cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to film the concert with my phone when they were young.”

  • a) filmabas
  • b) filmábamos
  • c) filmaban
  • d) filmaba

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ la película en el desierto. — “Tomorrow, we will film the film in the desert.”

  • a) filmarán
  • b) filmaremos
  • c) filmaré
  • d) filmarás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la boda de su hermana si pudiera. — “He would film his sister's wedding if he could.”

  • a) filmaría
  • b) filmarías
  • c) filmaríamos
  • d) filmo

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ un documental sobre el mar. — “I have filmed a documentary about the sea.”

  • a) has filmado
  • b) ha filmado
  • c) han filmado
  • d) he filmado

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ el concierto con el móvil. — “I hope you film the concert with my phone.”

  • a) filmemos
  • b) filmo
  • c) filmes
  • d) filme

8. Which is the past participle of filmar, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) filmé
  • b) filmado
  • c) filmando
  • d) filmo

9. What does filmar mean in English?

  • a) to film
  • b) to record, sound or video
  • c) to illustrate
  • d) to decorate

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él filma la boda de su hermana.
  • b) Él filmo la boda de su hermana.
  • c) Nosotros filma un documental sobre el mar.
  • d) Yo filma la película en el desierto.

Answer key

  1. a) filma — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: filma.

  2. d) filmé — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: filmé, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) filmaban — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: filmaban, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) filmaremos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: filmaremos.

  5. a) filmaría — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: filmaría.

  6. d) he filmado — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he filmado, haber + filmado.

  7. c) filmes — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is filmes.

  8. b) filmado — The past participle is filmado: he filmado, has filmado, ha filmado. The gerund filmando is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to film — filmar means to film. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él filma la boda de su hermana. — Él filma la boda de su hermana. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use filmar in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Filmo la película en el desierto and Filma la boda de su hermana. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between filmar and grabar?

Filmar means “to film”, while grabar means “to record, sound or video”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use filmar when you mean “to film” and grabar when you mean “to record, sound or video”.

Which tense do I need most with filmar?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use filmar most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is filmar formal or informal?

Filmar is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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