Amarrar in the Present Tense

Amarrar means “to tie, to moor”, and this page covers exactly one thing: amarrar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about routines, facts and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for amarrar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about amarrar in the present. For example: “Yo amarro el barco al muelle.” — I tie the boat to the dock. Everything on this page uses the forms of amarrar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Amarrar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo amarro
tú amarras
él/ella/Ud. amarra
nosotros/as amarramos
vosotros/as amarráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. amarran

Gerund: amarrando · Past participle: amarrado

The gerund is amarrando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy amarrando” means the action of amarrar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is amarrado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he amarrado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how amarrar is used.

How the present of amarrar is formed

Amarrar is regular in the present tense. Take the stem amarr and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving amarro, amarras, amarra, amarramos, amarráis, amarran. Watch the accents: the yo form is amarro and the él/ella/Ud. form is amarra.

When to use the present of amarrar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use amarrar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present tense is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the right choice, and amarrar is no exception. Example: “Yo amarro el barco al muelle todos los días.” — I tie the boat to the dock every day.

2. Facts and general truths

The present states facts that are true in general, not just right now. Use it to say what amarrar means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Amarra las maletas al techo del coche.” — He/she ties the suitcases to the car roof.

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes actions in progress at this very moment. When something is happening as you speak, the present tense says so directly. Example: “Yo amarro la hamaca entre dos árboles ahora.” — I tie the hammock between two trees now.

4. Scheduled events in the near future

Spanish often uses the present for things that are already arranged, such as plans for tomorrow or next week. The present sounds more certain than the future in these cases. Example: “Nosotros amarramos la cuerda al poste.” — We tie the rope to the post.

5. Instructions and everyday speech

In everyday speech the present gives instructions, makes offers and states what someone does. It is the tense you will hear most often in conversation. Example: “Tú amarras el barco al muelle.” — You tie the boat to the dock.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present describes routines, facts and what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo amarro el barco al muelle todos los días.” — I tie the boat to the dock every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo amarré el barco al muelle.” — Yesterday, I tied the boat to the dock.

  • The present sentence describes a habit; the preterite sentence reports one finished action. Todos los días points to the present, ayer points to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Él amarra las maletas al techo del coche cada semana.” — He/she ties the suitcases to the car roof every week.

  • Preterite: “La semana pasada, él amarró las maletas al techo del coche.” — Last week, he tied the suitcases to the car roof.

  • Cada semana describes a routine, so the present is right; la semana pasada names one finished week, so the preterite is right.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros amarramos la hamaca entre dos árboles a menudo.” — We tie the hammock between two trees often.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros amarramos la hamaca entre dos árboles.” — Yesterday, we tied the hammock between two trees.

  • The present sentence counts no single event; the preterite sentence counts one finished action. That difference — habit versus finished event — is the whole decision.

Example sentences: amarrar in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Amarro el barco al muelle.” — I tie the boat to the dock.

  2. “Amarras las maletas al techo del coche.” — You tie the suitcases to the car roof.

  3. “Amarra la hamaca entre dos árboles.” — He/she ties the hammock between two trees.

  4. “Amarramos la cuerda al poste.” — We tie the rope to the post.

  5. “Amarráis el barco al muelle.” — You tie the boat to the dock.

  6. “Amarran las maletas al techo del coche.” — They tie the suitcases to the car roof.

  7. “Amarro la hamaca entre dos árboles.” — I tie the hammock between two trees.

  8. “Amarra la cuerda al poste.” — He/she ties the rope to the post.

Common mistakes with amarrar in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Ellos amarra el barco al muelle.” Right: “Ellos amarran el barco al muelle.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form amarran. The singular amarra belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Yo amarro las maletas al techo del coche ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo amarré las maletas al techo del coche.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to amarré.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros amarras la hamaca entre dos árboles.” Right: “Nosotros amarramos la hamaca entre dos árboles.” Why: Nosotros needs amarramos. The tú form amarras belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos amarro la cuerda al poste todos los días.” Right: “Ellos amarran la cuerda al poste todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form amarran, not the yo form amarro. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.

Quiz: amarrar in the present

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ el barco al muelle.” (The boat to the dock.)

  • (a) amarro
  • (b) amarras
  • (c) amarra

Answer: amarro — The yo form of amarrar in the present is amarro. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ las maletas al techo del coche?” (The suitcases to the car roof.)

  • (a) amarro
  • (b) amarra
  • (c) amarras

Answer: amarras — The tú form of amarrar in the present is amarras. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ la hamaca entre dos árboles.” (The hammock between two trees.)

  • (a) amarras
  • (b) amarra
  • (c) amarro

Answer: amarra — The él/ella/Ud. form of amarrar in the present is amarra. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ la cuerda al poste.” (The rope to the post.)

  • (a) amarramos
  • (b) amarro
  • (c) amarras

Answer: amarramos — The nosotros/as form of amarrar in the present is amarramos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

5. What is the vosotros/as form of amarrar in the present?

  • (a) amarro
  • (b) amarras
  • (c) amarráis

Answer: amarráis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes amarráis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros amarráis el barco al muelle.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ las maletas al techo del coche.” (The suitcases to the car roof.)

  • (a) amarras
  • (b) amarran
  • (c) amarro

Answer: amarran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of amarrar in the present is amarran. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

7. Which is the correct yo form of amarrar in the present?

  • (a) amarro
  • (b) amarras
  • (c) amarra

Answer: amarro — The yo form is amarro. The other two options are the forms for other persons.

8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?

  • (a) Yo amarré el barco al muelle todos los días.
  • (b) Nosotros amarraremos el barco al muelle mañana.
  • (c) Yo amarro el barco al muelle todos los días.

Answer: Yo amarro el barco al muelle todos los días. — “Yo amarro el barco al muelle todos los días.” describes a habit, so it takes the present. The second option reports a finished action in the past, and the third looks to the future.

Frequently asked questions

Is amarrar regular in the present?

Yes. Amarrar is regular in the present: amarro, amarras, amarra, amarramos, amarráis, amarran. Watch the accents on the yo and él forms, and remember that only context tells the nosotros form apart from the present-tense nosotros form when they are identical.

What is the past participle of amarrar?

The past participle is amarrado: 'He amarrado' means 'I have tied'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is amarrando.

Does amarrar take a preposition?

It depends on the meaning. Amarrar is fully regular: amarré, amarraba, amarraré. Amarrar el barco is to moor the boat. In the examples on this page, amarrar appears with complements such as el barco al muelle and las maletas al techo del coche, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.

How do I remember the present forms of amarrar?

Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo amarro, tú amarras, él/ella/Ud. amarra, nosotros/as amarramos, vosotros/as amarráis, ellos/ellas/Uds. amarran. Then write three of your own sentences with amarrar in the present, using the examples on this page as models.

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