Amamantar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb amamantar means to breastfeed, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Amamantar means to breastfeed, to feed a baby with breast milk. It is used in health, family and parenting contexts, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, amamantar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say amamanto a su bebé cada tres horas, and in the preterite you say amamanté en público con discreción. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: amamantar
- English: to breastfeed
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: amamantando
- Past participle: amamantado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + amamantado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for amamantar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Amamantar is fully regular: amamanto, amamanta. It is specifically breastfeeding; alimentar is feeding in general.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for amamantar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amamanto |
| tú | amamantas |
| él/ella/Ud. | amamanta |
| nosotros/as | amamantamos |
| vosotros/as | amamantáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amamantan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amamanté |
| tú | amamantaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | amamantó |
| nosotros/as | amamantamos |
| vosotros/as | amamantasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amamantaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amamantaba |
| tú | amamantabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | amamantaba |
| nosotros/as | amamantábamos |
| vosotros/as | amamantabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amamantaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amamantaré |
| tú | amamantarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | amamantará |
| nosotros/as | amamantaremos |
| vosotros/as | amamantaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amamantarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amamantaría |
| tú | amamantarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | amamantaría |
| nosotros/as | amamantaríamos |
| vosotros/as | amamantaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amamantarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he amamantado |
| tú | has amamantado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha amamantado |
| nosotros/as | hemos amamantado |
| vosotros/as | habéis amamantado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han amamantado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había amamantado |
| tú | habías amamantado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había amamantado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos amamantado |
| vosotros/as | habíais amamantado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían amamantado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré amamantado |
| tú | habrás amamantado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá amamantado |
| nosotros/as | habremos amamantado |
| vosotros/as | habréis amamantado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán amamantado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría amamantado |
| tú | habrías amamantado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría amamantado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos amamantado |
| vosotros/as | habríais amamantado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían amamantado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amamante |
| tú | amamantes |
| él/ella/Ud. | amamante |
| nosotros/as | amamantemos |
| vosotros/as | amamantéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amamanten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amamantara |
| tú | amamantaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | amamantara |
| nosotros/as | amamantáramos |
| vosotros/as | amamantarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amamantaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | amamanta |
| él/ella/Ud. | amamante |
| nosotros/as | amamantemos |
| vosotros/as | amamantad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amamanten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | amamantes |
| él/ella/Ud. | amamante |
| nosotros/as | amamantemos |
| vosotros/as | amamantéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amamanten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | amamantando | with estar for the progressive: estoy amamantando |
| Past participle | amamantado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he amamantado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Amamanto a su bebé cada tres horas. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, amamanté al niño hasta los seis meses. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, amamantaba en público con discreción. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, amamantaré a los gemelos en casa. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Amamantaría a su bebé cada tres horas si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he amamantado al niño hasta los seis meses. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había amamantado en público con discreción antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré amamantado a los gemelos en casa. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría amamantado a su bebé cada tres horas con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él amamante al niño hasta los seis meses. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él amamantara en público con discreción, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Amamanta a los gemelos en casa! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For amamantar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No amamantes a su bebé cada tres horas. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with amamantar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Amamanto a su bebé cada tres horas. — I breastfeed her baby every three hours.
- Amamanta al niño hasta los seis meses. — He/she breastfeeds the child until he is six months old.
- Ayer, amamanté en público con discreción. — Yesterday, I breastfed in public discreetly.
- Antes, nosotros amamantábamos a los gemelos en casa. — Before, we used to breastfeed the twins at home.
- Mañana, tú amamantarás a su bebé cada tres horas. — Tomorrow, you will breastfeed her baby every three hours.
- Yo amamantaría al niño hasta los seis meses si tuviera más tiempo. — I would breastfeed the child until he is six months old if I had more time.
- Él ha amamantado en público con discreción. — He has breastfed in public discreetly.
- Espero que él amamante a los gemelos en casa. — I hope he breastfeeds the twins at home.
- Yo ya había amamantado a su bebé cada tres horas antes de salir. — I had already breastfed her baby every three hours before leaving.
- Ellos amamantaban al niño hasta los seis meses cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to breastfeed the child until he is six months old when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo amamanta a su bebé cada tres horas. — Right: Yo amamanto a su bebé cada tres horas. — The person matters: amamanta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is amamanto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo amamanto al niño hasta los seis meses. — Right: Ayer yo amamanté al niño hasta los seis meses. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: amamanto is happening now, while amamanté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating amamantar and alimentar as identical in every context. — Right: Amamantar means to breastfeed, while alimentar means to feed. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: amamantar fits sentences such as Amamanto a su bebé cada tres horas, while alimentar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy amamantado al niño hasta los seis meses. — Right: Yo he amamantado al niño hasta los seis meses. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he amamantado, has amamantado, ha amamantado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo amamanté en público con discreción todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo amamantaba en público con discreción todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (amamantaba), not the preterite. The preterite (amamanté) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on amamantar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a su bebé cada tres horas. (present tense) A. amamanto B. amamantas C. amamanta D. amamantamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ al niño hasta los seis meses. (preterite) A. amamanté B. amamantaste C. amamantaron D. amamantó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ en público con discreción. (imperfect) A. amamantabas B. amamantaban C. amamantábamos D. amamantaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a los gemelos en casa. (future) A. amamantaremos B. amamantarás C. amamantaré D. amamantará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a su bebé cada tres horas si pudiera. (conditional) A. amamantaría B. amamantarías C. amamantarían D. amamanto
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ al niño hasta los seis meses. (present subjunctive) A. amamantes B. amamantemos C. amamanto D. amamante
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ en público con discreción, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. amamantáramos B. amamanto C. amamantara D. amamantaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a los gemelos en casa. (present perfect) A. han amamantado B. hemos amamantado C. he amamantado D. has amamantado
Complete the command: ¡___ a su bebé cada tres horas! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. amamanta B. amamante C. amamantemos D. amamantad
Which is the gerund of amamantar, used with estar for the progressive? A. amamantado B. amamanto C. amamanté D. amamantando
Answer key
- amamanto — The first-person present of amamantar is amamanto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- amamantó — The third-person preterite of amamantar is amamantó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- amamantábamos — The nosotros imperfect of amamantar is amamantábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- amamantarás — The second-person future of amamantar is amamantarás.
- amamantaría — The first-person conditional of amamantar is amamantaría, the form for what would happen.
- amamante — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of amamantar is amamante.
- amamantara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of amamantar is amamantara.
- hemos amamantado — The nosotros present perfect of amamantar is hemos amamantado: hemos + amamantado.
- amamanta — The affirmative tú imperative of amamantar is amamanta.
- amamantando — The gerund of amamantar is amamantando: estoy amamantando. The participle amamantado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does amamantar mean in English?
Amamantar means to breastfeed. It is used in everyday situations such as Amamanto a su bebé cada tres horas. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is amamantar regular or irregular?
Amamantar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including amamanto in the present and amamanté in the preterite.
What is the difference between amamantar and alimentar?
Amamantar means to breastfeed, while alimentar means to feed. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use amamantar when you mean to breastfeed, as in Amamanto a su bebé cada tres horas, and use alimentar for to feed. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I breastfeed” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo amamanté al niño hasta los seis meses. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo amamantaba en público con discreción. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he amamantado al niño hasta los seis meses.
How do I practise amamantar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the amamantar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Amamantar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for amamantar.
- Amamantar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for amamantar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Amansar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with amamantar.
- Alzar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with amamantar.
- Amortiguar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with amamantar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.