Amarrar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb amarrar means to tie, to moor, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Amarrar means to tie or to moor, and it is used for tying a boat to a dock, tying a load to a roof rack and tying something down tightly. It is fully regular, and in Latin America it is also the everyday verb for tying your shoes. Like every Spanish verb, amarrar 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 amarro el barco al muelle, and in the preterite you say amarré la hamaca entre dos árboles. 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: amarrar
- English: to tie, to moor
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: amarrando
- Past participle: amarrado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + amarrado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for amarrar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Amarrar is fully regular: amarré, amarraba, amarraré. Amarrar el barco is to moor the boat.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for amarrar. 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 | amarro |
| tú | amarras |
| él/ella/Ud. | amarra |
| nosotros/as | amarramos |
| vosotros/as | amarráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amarran |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amarré |
| tú | amarraste |
| él/ella/Ud. | amarró |
| nosotros/as | amarramos |
| vosotros/as | amarrasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amarraron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amarraba |
| tú | amarrabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | amarraba |
| nosotros/as | amarrábamos |
| vosotros/as | amarrabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amarraban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amarraré |
| tú | amarrarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | amarrará |
| nosotros/as | amarraremos |
| vosotros/as | amarraréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amarrarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amarraría |
| tú | amarrarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | amarraría |
| nosotros/as | amarraríamos |
| vosotros/as | amarraríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amarrarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he amarrado |
| tú | has amarrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha amarrado |
| nosotros/as | hemos amarrado |
| vosotros/as | habéis amarrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han amarrado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había amarrado |
| tú | habías amarrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había amarrado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos amarrado |
| vosotros/as | habíais amarrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían amarrado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré amarrado |
| tú | habrás amarrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá amarrado |
| nosotros/as | habremos amarrado |
| vosotros/as | habréis amarrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán amarrado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría amarrado |
| tú | habrías amarrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría amarrado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos amarrado |
| vosotros/as | habríais amarrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían amarrado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amarre |
| tú | amarres |
| él/ella/Ud. | amarre |
| nosotros/as | amarremos |
| vosotros/as | amarréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amarren |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | amarrara |
| tú | amarraras |
| él/ella/Ud. | amarrara |
| nosotros/as | amarráramos |
| vosotros/as | amarrarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amarraran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | amarra |
| él/ella/Ud. | amarre |
| nosotros/as | amarremos |
| vosotros/as | amarrad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amarren |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | amarres |
| él/ella/Ud. | amarre |
| nosotros/as | amarremos |
| vosotros/as | amarréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | amarren |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | amarrando | with estar for the progressive: estoy amarrando |
| Past participle | amarrado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he amarrado |
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 amarrar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Amarro el barco al muelle. 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 amarrar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, amarré las maletas al techo del coche. 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 amarrar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, amarraba la hamaca entre dos árboles. 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 amarrar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, amarraré la cuerda al poste. 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 amarrar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Amarraría el barco al muelle 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 amarrar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he amarrado las maletas al techo del coche. 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 amarrar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había amarrado la hamaca entre dos árboles 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 amarrar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré amarrado la cuerda al poste. 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 amarrar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría amarrado el barco al muelle 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 amarrar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él amarre las maletas al techo del coche. 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 amarrar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él amarrara la hamaca entre dos árboles, 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 amarrar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Amarra la cuerda al poste! 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 amarrar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No amarres el barco al muelle. 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 amarrar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Amarro el barco al muelle. — I tie the boat to the dock.
- Amarra las maletas al techo del coche. — He/she ties the suitcases to the car roof.
- Ayer, amarré la hamaca entre dos árboles. — Yesterday, I tied the hammock between two trees.
- Antes, nosotros amarrábamos la cuerda al poste. — Before, we used to tie the rope to the post.
- Mañana, tú amarrarás el barco al muelle. — Tomorrow, you will tie the boat to the dock.
- Yo amarraría las maletas al techo del coche si tuviera más tiempo. — I would tie the suitcases to the car roof if I had more time.
- Él ha amarrado la hamaca entre dos árboles. — He has tied the hammock between two trees.
- Espero que él amarre la cuerda al poste. — I hope he ties the rope to the post.
- Yo ya había amarrado el barco al muelle antes de salir. — I had already tied the boat to the dock before leaving.
- Ellos amarraban las maletas al techo del coche cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to tie the suitcases to the car roof when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo amarra el barco al muelle. — Right: Yo amarro el barco al muelle. — The person matters: amarra is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is amarro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo amarro las maletas al techo del coche. — Right: Ayer yo amarré las maletas al techo del coche. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: amarro is happening now, while amarré is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating amarrar and atar as identical in every context. — Right: Amarrar means to tie, to moor, while atar means to tie. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: amarrar fits sentences such as Amarro el barco al muelle, while atar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy amarrado las maletas al techo del coche. — Right: Yo he amarrado las maletas al techo del coche. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he amarrado, has amarrado, ha amarrado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo amarré la hamaca entre dos árboles todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo amarraba la hamaca entre dos árboles todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (amarraba), not the preterite. The preterite (amarré) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on amarrar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el barco al muelle. (present tense) A. amarro B. amarras C. amarra D. amarramos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ las maletas al techo del coche. (preterite) A. amarré B. amarraste C. amarraron D. amarró
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la hamaca entre dos árboles. (imperfect) A. amarrabas B. amarraban C. amarrábamos D. amarraba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la cuerda al poste. (future) A. amarraremos B. amarrarás C. amarraré D. amarrará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el barco al muelle si pudiera. (conditional) A. amarraría B. amarrarías C. amarrarían D. amarro
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ las maletas al techo del coche. (present subjunctive) A. amarres B. amarremos C. amarro D. amarre
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la hamaca entre dos árboles, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. amarráramos B. amarro C. amarrara D. amarraras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la cuerda al poste. (present perfect) A. han amarrado B. hemos amarrado C. he amarrado D. has amarrado
Complete the command: ¡___ el barco al muelle! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. amarra B. amarre C. amarremos D. amarrad
Which is the gerund of amarrar, used with estar for the progressive? A. amarrado B. amarro C. amarré D. amarrando
Answer key
- amarro — The first-person present of amarrar is amarro. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- amarró — The third-person preterite of amarrar is amarró, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- amarrábamos — The nosotros imperfect of amarrar is amarrábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- amarrarás — The second-person future of amarrar is amarrarás.
- amarraría — The first-person conditional of amarrar is amarraría, the form for what would happen.
- amarre — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of amarrar is amarre.
- amarrara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of amarrar is amarrara.
- hemos amarrado — The nosotros present perfect of amarrar is hemos amarrado: hemos + amarrado.
- amarra — The affirmative tú imperative of amarrar is amarra.
- amarrando — The gerund of amarrar is amarrando: estoy amarrando. The participle amarrado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does amarrar mean in English?
Amarrar means to tie, to moor. It is used in everyday situations such as Amarro el barco al muelle. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is amarrar regular or irregular?
Amarrar 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 amarro in the present and amarré in the preterite.
What is the difference between amarrar and atar?
Amarrar means to tie, to moor, while atar means to tie. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use amarrar when you mean to tie, to moor, as in Amarro el barco al muelle, and use atar for to tie. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I tie” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo amarré las maletas al techo del coche. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo amarraba la hamaca entre dos árboles. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he amarrado las maletas al techo del coche.
How do I practise amarrar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the amarrar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Amarrar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for amarrar.
- Amarrar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for amarrar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Desatar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with amarrar.
- Enchufar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with amarrar.
- Atar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with amarrar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.