Filmar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of filmar — “to film” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for filmar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. 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. To see it in a real sentence: Filmo la película en el desierto. — “I film the film in the desert.” Learn the six forms in the table below, and the present tense of filmar will be ready for everyday conversation.
Present tense conjugation table: filmar
Every person of filmar in the present tense. The gerund is filmando and the past participle is filmado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | filmo |
| tú | filmas |
| él/ella/Ud. | filma |
| nosotros/as | filmamos |
| vosotros/as | filmáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | filman |
How the present indicative of filmar is formed
The present indicative of filmar is built from the stem plus the present indicative endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | filmo |
| tú | -as | filmas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | filma |
| nosotros/as | -amos | filmamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | filmáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | filman |
Filmar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is film- and the endings are the normal -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page.
The gerund of filmar is filmando and the past participle is filmado. Both are regular for this verb, and the participle is the form you need for all the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present tense of filmar
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and filmar appears in all of them. The five uses below are the ones you will meet most often, each with an example that shows the verb in a natural sentence.
Routines and habits
Use the present for things you do regularly, every day or every week. The present is the tense of routine, and filmar fits naturally into daily life.
“Yo filmo la película en el desierto todos los días.” — “I film the film in the desert every day.”
General facts
Use the present for facts that are true in general, not just today. When you state how something is, the present is the tense to use.
“Él filma la boda de su hermana.” — “He/she films his sister's wedding.”
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English uses the progressive, so filmo can mean both “I film” and “I am filming”.
“Ahora mismo, yo filmo un documental sobre el mar.” — “Right now, I film a documentary about the sea.”
Fixed plans in the near future
Use the present for a plan that is already fixed, such as something arranged for tomorrow. Spanish uses the present for near-future plans much more freely than English does.
“Mañana, yo filmo el concierto con el móvil.” — “Tomorrow, I will film the concert with my phone.”
Questions and negatives
Use the present to ask about habits and to say what does not happen. The question and the negative use exactly the same forms as the statement.
“¿Tú filmas la película en el desierto?” — “Do you film the film in the desert?”
The present tense vs the closest tenses
Present — habit or general fact vs Preterite — one finished occasion
The present describes a habit, a routine or a general fact — something that happens again and again or that is true in general. The preterite reports one finished occasion in the past. Use the present when the action repeats or is still true, and the preterite when you are telling what happened once, on a specific day.
- Present — habit or general fact: Filma la boda de su hermana. — “He/she films his sister's wedding.”
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Filmó la boda de su hermana. — the same idea, placed in the preterite.
Present — now vs Imperfect — a past habit or background
The present talks about now. The imperfect talks about the past as a background — a repeated habit, an ongoing situation, something that used to happen. If you can add “used to” in English, the imperfect is usually the right choice; if it is happening now or always, use the present.
- Present — now: Filman un documental sobre el mar. — “They film a documentary about the sea.”
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Filmaban un documental sobre el mar. — the same idea, placed in the imperfect.
Present — now or a fixed plan vs Future — what will happen
The present describes what happens now, what you do regularly, or a plan that is already fixed. The future describes what will happen later — a promise, a prediction, a plan that is not yet under way. Spanish often uses the present for near-future plans, but the future is the form for a clear statement about tomorrow.
- Present — now or a fixed plan: Filmas el concierto con el móvil. — “You film the concert with my phone.”
- Future — what will happen: Filmarás el concierto con el móvil. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: filmar in the present tense
Seven sentences that show filmar in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo filmo la película en el desierto. — “I film the film in the desert.”
- Tú filmas la boda de su hermana. — “You film his sister's wedding.”
- Él filma un documental sobre el mar. — “He films a documentary about the sea.”
- Nosotros filmamos el concierto con el móvil. — “We film the concert with my phone.”
- Vosotros filmáis la película en el desierto. — “You (plural) film the film in the desert.”
- Ellos filman la boda de su hermana. — “They film his sister's wedding.”
- ¿Tú filmas un documental sobre el mar? — “Do you film a documentary about the sea?”
Common mistakes with filmar in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with filmar in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ Yo filmar la película en el desierto. (using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form).
✓ Correct: Yo filmo la película en el desierto.
The infinitive is not a conjugated form. With yo, the present tense of filmar is filmo, not the infinitive filmar.
✗ Vosotros filmais la película en el desierto. (forgetting the accent on the vosotros form).
✓ Correct: Vosotros filmáis la película en el desierto.
The vosotros present form carries a written accent: filmáis, not filmais. The accent marks the stressed vowel, and leaving it out is a spelling mistake.
✗ Ayer, yo filmo la boda de su hermana. (using the present for a finished past action).
✓ 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. (confusing filmar with grabar).
✓ 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.
Quiz: filmar in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of filmar. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below — every answer is explained.
1. Which is the correct present tense form of filmar for tú?
- a) filmas
- b) filmo
- c) filma
- d) filman
2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ la película en el desierto. — “I film the film in the desert.”
- a) filma
- b) filmamos
- c) filmas
- d) filmo
3. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la boda de su hermana. — “He/she films his sister's wedding.” (present tense)
- a) filmaba
- b) filmará
- c) filma
- d) filmó
4. Which is the correct present tense form of filmar for nosotros?
- a) filman
- b) filmamos
- c) filmo
- d) filma
5. Which sentence uses filmar correctly in the present tense?
- a) Él filmó la boda de su hermana.
- b) Él filma la boda de su hermana.
- c) Él filmará la boda de su hermana.
- d) Ellos filma la boda de su hermana.
6. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ un documental sobre el mar. — “They film a documentary about the sea.”
- a) filmo
- b) filma
- c) filmamos
- d) filman
7. Complete the question: ¿Tú ______ el concierto con el móvil? — “Do you film the concert with my phone?”
- a) filma
- b) filmarás
- c) filmas
- d) filmo
8. What is the gerund of filmar?
- a) filmé
- b) filmando
- c) filmado
- d) filmo
Answer key
a) filmas — The tú form is filmas. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; filmo is yo, filma is él/ella and filman is ellos/ellas.
d) filmo — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: filmo. The other options are the wrong person.
c) filma — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: filma. The other options are the preterite, the imperfect and the future.
b) filmamos — Nosotros takes filmamos. In the present the nosotros ending for -ar verbs is -amos, attached to the stem.
b) 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 use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
d) filman — The subject is ellos/ellas/Uds., so the present form is filman.
c) filmas — The question needs the tú form in the present: filmas.
b) filmando — The gerund is filmando. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle filmado.
Frequently asked questions
Is filmar regular in the present tense?
Yes. Filmar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the forms follow the standard endings: filmo, filmas, filma, filmamos, filmáis and filman.
What is the gerund and the past participle of filmar?
The gerund is filmando and the past participle is filmado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say “I film” in Spanish?
Say filmo. For example: Filmo la película en el desierto. — “I film the film in the desert.”
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”. The full conjugation of filmar is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of filmar — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- filmar examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a longer quiz.
- Spanish Present tense guide — how the present tense works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the full list of Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.
- Ilustrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with filmar.
- Decorar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with filmar.
- Estrenar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with filmar.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise this verb in the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on Spanish verbs.