filmar Imperfect Conjugation
filmar — to film
The imperfect (filmaba, filmabas, filmaba...) describes ongoing or habitual past actions and background.
filmar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe actions that were happening continuously in the past, habitual actions, or to set the scene. For 'filmar', you might say 'Cuando era niño, filmaba todo con mi cámara vieja' (When I was a child, I used to film everything with my old camera) or 'Ellos filmaban la película cuando empezó a llover' (They were filming the movie when it started to rain).
Notes on filmar in the Imperfect
Filmar is regular in the imperfect indicative. It follows the standard pattern for -ar verbs, with endings like -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban.
Example Sentences
Yo filmaba escenas de la naturaleza.
I used to film scenes of nature.
yo
¿Tú filmabas cuando te conocí?
Were you filming when I met you?
tú
Ellos filmaban la película cuando hubo un problema.
They were filming the movie when there was a problem.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros filmábamos en un estudio pequeño.
We used to film in a small studio.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single completed action.
Correct: Use the preterite: 'Filmó la escena ayer' (He filmed the scene yesterday), not 'Filmaba la escena ayer'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, while the preterite is for completed actions.
Mistake: Confusing 'filmaba' (yo) and 'filmaba' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The form 'filmaba' is the same for yo, él, ella, and usted.
Why: Context is key to understanding who performed the action.
Master Spanish verbs in context
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: filmo
The present tense (filmo, filmas, filma...) describes habitual actions, things happening now, or general truths.
Preterite
yo: filmé
The preterite (filmé, filmaste, filmó...) describes completed past actions with a clear end.
Future
yo: filmaré
The future tense (filmaré, filmarás, filmará...) is for actions that will happen or express probability.
Conditional
yo: filmaría
The conditional (filmaría, filmarías, filmaría...) is for hypotheticals ('would'), polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: filme
The present subjunctive (filme, filmes, filmemos, filmen) expresses wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: filmara
The imperfect subjunctive (filmara/filmase) is for past hypotheticals, wishes, or ongoing past conditions.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: filma
Filma (tú), filme (usted), filmemos (nosotros), filmen (ustedes), filmad (vosotros) are commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no filmes
Don't film (tú), no filme (usted), no filmemos (nosotros), no filmen (ustedes), no filméis (vosotros) use the present subjunctive.