Meaning and behavior
What does imitar mean?
Imitar means to imitate, to mimic, to ape, to copy, to copycat, to impersonate, to simulate. VerbyGo classifies it as a regular -AR verb. It is non-reflexive.
Build from reliable parts
Principal forms
- Infinitive
- imitar
- Gerund
- imitando
- Past participle
- imitado
Regular -AR pattern
How this verb behaves
Imitar follows the regular -ar pattern in the four tenses shown here.
Conjugation guide
Present forms
Present forms
Present
Use the present forms of imitar for current situations, routines and actions that happen regularly.
| Subject | Imitar |
|---|---|
| yo | imito |
| tú | imitas |
| él / ella / usted | imita |
| nosotros / nosotras | imitamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | imitáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | imitan |
Conjugation guide
Past forms
Past forms
Preterite
Use the preterite when the action of imitar is presented as completed in the past.
| Subject | Imitar |
|---|---|
| yo | imité |
| tú | imitaste |
| él / ella / usted | imitó |
| nosotros / nosotras | imitamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | imitasteis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | imitaron |
Past forms
Imperfect past
Use the imperfect for repeated or ongoing past uses of imitar, or for background information.
| Subject | Imitar |
|---|---|
| yo | imitaba |
| tú | imitabas |
| él / ella / usted | imitaba |
| nosotros / nosotras | imitábamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | imitabais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | imitaban |
Conjugation guide
Future and conditional
Future and conditional
Simple future
Use the future forms of imitar for predictions, promises and future statements.
| Subject | Imitar |
|---|---|
| yo | imitaré |
| tú | imitarás |
| él / ella / usted | imitará |
| nosotros / nosotras | imitaremos |
| vosotros / vosotras | imitaréis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | imitarán |
Verified context
Examples with imitar
Los niños imitan a sus amigos antes que a sus padres.
Children imitate their friends rather than their parents.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FRLos chicos imitan a sus padres.
Children imitate their parents.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FRLa hiena imita la voz humana.
The hyena imitates the human voice.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Quick answers
Imitar FAQ
What does imitar mean?
Imitar means to imitate, to mimic, to ape, to copy, to copycat, to impersonate, to simulate.
Is imitar regular or irregular?
Imitar is a regular -AR verb.
What is the gerund of imitar?
The gerund of imitar is imitando.
What is the past participle of imitar?
The past participle of imitar is imitado.
How is imitar conjugated in the present?
The verified public subject set is imito, imitas, imita, imitamos, imitan.
How is imitar conjugated in the preterite?
The verified public subject set is imité, imitaste, imitó, imitamos, imitaron.
Created by Alejandro Ruiz, an experienced Spanish tutor.