Armar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb armar means to assemble, to arm, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Armar means to assemble or to arm, and the two senses share the idea of putting something together: you assemble furniture, you put together a puzzle, you arm a soldier, you set a trap. It also means to cause a scene, as in armar un escándalo, to kick up a fuss. Like every Spanish verb, armar 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 armo los muebles del salón, and in the preterite you say armé un escándalo en la tienda. 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: armar
- English: to assemble, to arm
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: armando
- Past participle: armado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + armado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for armar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Armar is fully regular: armé, armaba, armaré. Armar un escándalo means to make a scene.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for armar. 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 | armo |
| tú | armas |
| él/ella/Ud. | arma |
| nosotros/as | armamos |
| vosotros/as | armáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | arman |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | armé |
| tú | armaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | armó |
| nosotros/as | armamos |
| vosotros/as | armasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | armaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | armaba |
| tú | armabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | armaba |
| nosotros/as | armábamos |
| vosotros/as | armabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | armaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | armaré |
| tú | armarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | armará |
| nosotros/as | armaremos |
| vosotros/as | armaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | armarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | armaría |
| tú | armarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | armaría |
| nosotros/as | armaríamos |
| vosotros/as | armaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | armarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he armado |
| tú | has armado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha armado |
| nosotros/as | hemos armado |
| vosotros/as | habéis armado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han armado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había armado |
| tú | habías armado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había armado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos armado |
| vosotros/as | habíais armado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían armado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré armado |
| tú | habrás armado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá armado |
| nosotros/as | habremos armado |
| vosotros/as | habréis armado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán armado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría armado |
| tú | habrías armado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría armado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos armado |
| vosotros/as | habríais armado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían armado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | arme |
| tú | armes |
| él/ella/Ud. | arme |
| nosotros/as | armemos |
| vosotros/as | arméis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | armen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | armara |
| tú | armaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | armara |
| nosotros/as | armáramos |
| vosotros/as | armarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | armaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | arma |
| él/ella/Ud. | arme |
| nosotros/as | armemos |
| vosotros/as | armad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | armen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | armes |
| él/ella/Ud. | arme |
| nosotros/as | armemos |
| vosotros/as | arméis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | armen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | armando | with estar for the progressive: estoy armando |
| Past participle | armado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he armado |
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 armar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Armo los muebles del salón. 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 armar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, armé el puzle con los niños. 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 armar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, armaba un escándalo en la tienda. 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 armar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, armaré la tienda de campaña. 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 armar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Armaría los muebles del salón 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 armar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he armado el puzle con los niños. 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 armar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había armado un escándalo en la tienda 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 armar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré armado la tienda de campaña. 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 armar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría armado los muebles del salón 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 armar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él arme el puzle con los niños. 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 armar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él armara un escándalo en la tienda, 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 armar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡arma la tienda de campaña! 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 armar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No armes los muebles del salón. 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 armar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Armo los muebles del salón. — I assemble the living-room furniture.
- Arma el puzle con los niños. — He/she assembles the puzzle with the children.
- Ayer, armé un escándalo en la tienda. — Yesterday, I assembled a scene in the shop.
- Antes, nosotros armábamos la tienda de campaña. — Before, we used to assemble the tent.
- Mañana, tú armarás los muebles del salón. — Tomorrow, you will assemble the living-room furniture.
- Yo armaría el puzle con los niños si tuviera más tiempo. — I would assemble the puzzle with the children if I had more time.
- Él ha armado un escándalo en la tienda. — He has assembled a scene in the shop.
- Espero que él arme la tienda de campaña. — I hope he assembles the tent.
- Yo ya había armado los muebles del salón antes de salir. — I had already assembled the living-room furniture before leaving.
- Ellos armaban el puzle con los niños cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to assemble the puzzle with the children when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo arma los muebles del salón. — Right: Yo armo los muebles del salón. — The person matters: arma is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is armo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating armar and montar as identical in every context. — Right: Armar means to assemble, to arm, while montar means to assemble or put something together. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: armar fits sentences such as Armo los muebles del salón, while montar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy armado el puzle con los niños. — Right: Yo he armado el puzle con los niños. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he armado, has armado, ha armado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo armé un escándalo en la tienda todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo armaba un escándalo en la tienda todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (armaba), not the preterite. The preterite (armé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on armar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ los muebles del salón. (present tense) A. armo B. armas C. arma D. armamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el puzle con los niños. (preterite) A. armé B. armaste C. armaron D. armó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ un escándalo en la tienda. (imperfect) A. armabas B. armaban C. armábamos D. armaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la tienda de campaña. (future) A. armaremos B. armarás C. armaré D. armará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ los muebles del salón si pudiera. (conditional) A. armaría B. armarías C. armarían D. armo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el puzle con los niños. (present subjunctive) A. armes B. armemos C. armo D. arme
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ un escándalo en la tienda, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. armáramos B. armo C. armara D. armaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la tienda de campaña. (present perfect) A. han armado B. hemos armado C. he armado D. has armado
Complete the command: ¡___ los muebles del salón! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. arma B. arme C. armemos D. armad
Which is the gerund of armar, used with estar for the progressive? A. armado B. armo C. armé D. armando
Answer key
- armo — The first-person present of armar is armo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- armó — The third-person preterite of armar is armó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- armábamos — The nosotros imperfect of armar is armábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- armarás — The second-person future of armar is armarás.
- armaría — The first-person conditional of armar is armaría, the form for what would happen.
- arme — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of armar is arme.
- armara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of armar is armara.
- hemos armado — The nosotros present perfect of armar is hemos armado: hemos + armado.
- arma — The affirmative tú imperative of armar is arma.
- armando — The gerund of armar is armando: estoy armando. The participle armado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does armar mean in English?
Armar means to assemble, to arm. It is used in everyday situations such as Armo los muebles del salón. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is armar regular or irregular?
Armar 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 armo in the present and armé in the preterite.
What is the difference between armar and montar?
Armar means to assemble, to arm, while montar means to assemble or put something together. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use armar when you mean to assemble, to arm, as in Armo los muebles del salón, and use montar for to assemble or put something together. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I assemble” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo armé el puzle con los niños. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo armaba un escándalo en la tienda. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he armado el puzle con los niños.
How do I practise armar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the armar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Armar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for armar.
- Armar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for armar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Arrestar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with armar.
- Archivar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with armar.
- Arruinar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with armar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.