filtrar
“filtrar” means “to filter” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to filter, to strain
Also: to screen
📝 In Action
Necesitamos filtrar el agua del río antes de beberla.
A2We need to filter the river water before drinking it.
Las nubes filtran la luz del sol.
B1The clouds filter the sunlight.
Puedes filtrar los resultados de búsqueda por precio.
B1You can filter the search results by price.
to leak, to seep through
📝 In Action
Alguien filtró los documentos a la prensa.
B2Someone leaked the documents to the press.
El agua se filtró por las grietas de la pared.
B2The water seeped through the cracks in the wall.
Se filtró la noticia antes del anuncio oficial.
C1The news leaked before the official announcement.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: filtrar
Question 1 of 3
If someone reveals a secret document to a reporter, they have _____ the document.
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From Medieval Latin 'filtrum', which referred to felt. Since felt was used to strain liquids, it became the word for the process of filtering.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'filtrar' and 'colar'?
While both mean 'to strain', 'colar' is used for daily kitchen tasks (like pasta or juice), while 'filtrar' is used for more technical processes (purifying water, filtering light, or digital data).
Can I use 'filtrar' for Instagram filters?
Yes! You use 'filtros' (the noun) on photos, and the app 'filtra' the image to change how it looks.
Is 'filtrar' a regular verb?
Yes, it follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar, making it very easy to conjugate.