Lamer in the Present Tense

Lamer means “to lick”, and this page covers exactly one thing: lamer 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 lamer, 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 lamer in the present. For example: “Yo lamo el helado en verano.” — I lick the ice cream in summer. Everything on this page uses the forms of lamer exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Lamer in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo lamo
tú lames
él/ella/Ud. lame
nosotros/as lamemos
vosotros/as laméis
ellos/ellas/Uds. lamen

Gerund: lamiendo · Past participle: lamido

The gerund is lamiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy lamiendo” means the action of lamer is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is lamido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he lamido” 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 lamer is used.

How the present of lamer is formed

Lamer is regular in the present tense. Take the stem lam and add the present endings for -er verbs: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en, giving lamo, lames, lame, lamemos, laméis, lamen. Watch the accents: the yo form is lamo and the él/ella/Ud. form is lame.

When to use the present of lamer

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use lamer 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 lamer is no exception. Example: “Yo lamo el helado en verano todos los días.” — I lick the ice cream in summer 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 lamer means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Lame los labios después de comer.” — He/she licks my lips after eating.

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 lamo la cuchara del postre ahora.” — I lick the dessert spoon 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 lamemos la mano de su dueño.” — We lick his owner's hand.

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 lames el helado en verano.” — You lick the ice cream in summer.

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 lamo el helado en verano todos los días.” — I lick the ice cream in summer every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo lamí el helado en verano.” — Yesterday, I licked the ice cream in summer.

  • 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 lame los labios después de comer cada semana.” — He/she licks my lips after eating every week.

  • Preterite: “La semana pasada, él lamió los labios después de comer.” — Last week, he licked my lips after eating.

  • 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 lamemos la cuchara del postre a menudo.” — We lick the dessert spoon often.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros lamimos la cuchara del postre.” — Yesterday, we licked the dessert spoon.

  • 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: lamer 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. “Lamo el helado en verano.” — I lick the ice cream in summer.

  2. “Lames los labios después de comer.” — You lick my lips after eating.

  3. “Lame la cuchara del postre.” — He/she licks the dessert spoon.

  4. “Lamemos la mano de su dueño.” — We lick his owner's hand.

  5. “Laméis el helado en verano.” — You lick the ice cream in summer.

  6. “Lamen los labios después de comer.” — They lick my lips after eating.

  7. “Lamo la cuchara del postre.” — I lick the dessert spoon.

  8. “Lame la mano de su dueño.” — He/she licks his owner's hand.

Common mistakes with lamer 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 lame el helado en verano.” Right: “Ellos lamen el helado en verano.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form lamen. The singular lame belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Yo lamo los labios después de comer ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo lamí los labios después de comer.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to lamí.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros lames la cuchara del postre.” Right: “Nosotros lamemos la cuchara del postre.” Why: Nosotros needs lamemos. The tú form lames belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos lamo la mano de su dueño todos los días.” Right: “Ellos lamen la mano de su dueño todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form lamen, not the yo form lamo. 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: lamer 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 helado en verano.” (The ice cream in summer.)

  • (a) lamo
  • (b) lames
  • (c) lame

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

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ los labios después de comer?” (My lips after eating.)

  • (a) lamo
  • (b) lame
  • (c) lames

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

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ la cuchara del postre.” (The dessert spoon.)

  • (a) lames
  • (b) lame
  • (c) lamo

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

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ la mano de su dueño.” (His owner's hand.)

  • (a) lamemos
  • (b) lamo
  • (c) lames

Answer: lamemos — The nosotros/as form of lamer in the present is lamemos. 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 lamer in the present?

  • (a) lamo
  • (b) lames
  • (c) laméis

Answer: laméis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes laméis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros laméis el helado en verano.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ los labios después de comer.” (My lips after eating.)

  • (a) lames
  • (b) lamen
  • (c) lamo

Answer: lamen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of lamer in the present is lamen. 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 lamer in the present?

  • (a) lamo
  • (b) lames
  • (c) lame

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

8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?

  • (a) Yo lamí el helado en verano todos los días.
  • (b) Nosotros lameremos el helado en verano mañana.
  • (c) Yo lamo el helado en verano todos los días.

Answer: Yo lamo el helado en verano todos los días. — “Yo lamo el helado en verano 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 lamer regular in the present?

Yes. Lamer is regular in the present: lamo, lames, lame, lamemos, laméis, lamen. 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 lamer?

The past participle is lamido: 'He lamido' means 'I have licked'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is lamiendo.

Does lamer take a preposition?

It depends on the meaning. Lamer is fully regular: lamí, lamía, lameré. The gerund is lamiendo, with an i after the m. In the examples on this page, lamer appears with complements such as el helado en verano and los labios después de comer, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.

How do I remember the present forms of lamer?

Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo lamo, tú lames, él/ella/Ud. lame, nosotros/as lamemos, vosotros/as laméis, ellos/ellas/Uds. lamen. Then write three of your own sentences with lamer in the present, using the examples on this page as models.

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