Lamer Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb lamer means to lick, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Lamer means to lick, and it is used for a dog licking your hand, licking an ice cream and licking your lips. It is fully regular, though the gerund lamiendo shows the usual -er spelling with i. Like every Spanish verb, lamer 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 lamo el helado en verano, and in the preterite you say lamí la cuchara del postre. 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: lamer
- English: to lick
- Verb type: regular -er verb
- Ending: -er
- Gerund: lamiendo
- Past participle: lamido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + lamido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for lamer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Lamer is fully regular: lamí, lamía, lameré. The gerund is lamiendo, with an i after the m.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for lamer. 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 | lamo |
| tú | lames |
| él/ella/Ud. | lame |
| nosotros/as | lamemos |
| vosotros/as | laméis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lamen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lamí |
| tú | lamiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | lamió |
| nosotros/as | lamimos |
| vosotros/as | lamisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lamieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lamía |
| tú | lamías |
| él/ella/Ud. | lamía |
| nosotros/as | lamíamos |
| vosotros/as | lamíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lamían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lameré |
| tú | lamerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | lamerá |
| nosotros/as | lameremos |
| vosotros/as | lameréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lamerán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lamería |
| tú | lamerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | lamería |
| nosotros/as | lameríamos |
| vosotros/as | lameríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lamerían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he lamido |
| tú | has lamido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha lamido |
| nosotros/as | hemos lamido |
| vosotros/as | habéis lamido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han lamido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había lamido |
| tú | habías lamido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había lamido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos lamido |
| vosotros/as | habíais lamido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían lamido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré lamido |
| tú | habrás lamido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá lamido |
| nosotros/as | habremos lamido |
| vosotros/as | habréis lamido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán lamido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría lamido |
| tú | habrías lamido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría lamido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos lamido |
| vosotros/as | habríais lamido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían lamido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lama |
| tú | lamas |
| él/ella/Ud. | lama |
| nosotros/as | lamamos |
| vosotros/as | lamáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | laman |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | lamiera |
| tú | lamieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | lamiera |
| nosotros/as | lamiéramos |
| vosotros/as | lamierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | lamieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | lame |
| él/ella/Ud. | lama |
| nosotros/as | lamamos |
| vosotros/as | lamed |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | laman |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | lamas |
| él/ella/Ud. | lama |
| nosotros/as | lamamos |
| vosotros/as | lamáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | laman |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | lamiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy lamiendo |
| Past participle | lamido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he lamido |
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 lamer, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Lamo el helado en verano. 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 lamer, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, lamí los labios después de comer. 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 lamer, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, lamía la cuchara del postre. 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 lamer, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, lameré la mano de su dueño. 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 lamer, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Lamería el helado en verano 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 lamer, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he lamido los labios después de comer. 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 lamer, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había lamido la cuchara del postre 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 lamer, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré lamido la mano de su dueño. 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 lamer, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría lamido el helado en verano 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 lamer, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él lama los labios después de comer. 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 lamer, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él lamiera la cuchara del postre, 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 lamer, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Lame la mano de su dueño! 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 lamer, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No lamas el helado en verano. 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 lamer, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Lamo el helado en verano. — I lick the ice cream in summer.
- Lame los labios después de comer. — He/she licks my lips after eating.
- Ayer, lamí la cuchara del postre. — Yesterday, I licked the dessert spoon.
- Antes, nosotros lamíamos la mano de su dueño. — Before, we used to lick his owner's hand.
- Mañana, tú lamerás el helado en verano. — Tomorrow, you will lick the ice cream in summer.
- Yo lamería los labios después de comer si tuviera más tiempo. — I would lick my lips after eating if I had more time.
- Él ha lamido la cuchara del postre. — He has licked the dessert spoon.
- Espero que él lama la mano de su dueño. — I hope he licks his owner's hand.
- Yo ya había lamido el helado en verano antes de salir. — I had already licked the ice cream in summer before leaving.
- Ellos lamían los labios después de comer cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to lick my lips after eating when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo lame el helado en verano. — Right: Yo lamo el helado en verano. — The person matters: lame is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is lamo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo lamo los labios después de comer. — Right: Ayer yo lamí los labios después de comer. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: lamo is happening now, while lamí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating lamer and chupar as identical in every context. — Right: Lamer means to lick, while chupar means to suck. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: lamer fits sentences such as Lamo el helado en verano, while chupar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy lamido los labios después de comer. — Right: Yo he lamido los labios después de comer. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he lamido, has lamido, ha lamido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo lamí la cuchara del postre todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo lamía la cuchara del postre todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (lamía), not the preterite. The preterite (lamí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on lamer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el helado en verano. (present tense) A. lamo B. lames C. lame D. lamemos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ los labios después de comer. (preterite) A. lamí B. lamiste C. lamieron D. lamió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la cuchara del postre. (imperfect) A. lamías B. lamían C. lamíamos D. lamía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la mano de su dueño. (future) A. lameremos B. lamerás C. lameré D. lamerá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el helado en verano si pudiera. (conditional) A. lamería B. lamerías C. lamerían D. lamo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ los labios después de comer. (present subjunctive) A. lamas B. lamamos C. lamo D. lama
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la cuchara del postre, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. lamiéramos B. lamo C. lamiera D. lamieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la mano de su dueño. (present perfect) A. han lamido B. hemos lamido C. he lamido D. has lamido
Complete the command: ¡___ el helado en verano! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. lame B. lama C. lamamos D. lamed
Which is the gerund of lamer, used with estar for the progressive? A. lamido B. lamo C. lamí D. lamiendo
Answer key
- lamo — The first-person present of lamer is lamo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- lamió — The third-person preterite of lamer is lamió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- lamíamos — The nosotros imperfect of lamer is lamíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- lamerás — The second-person future of lamer is lamerás.
- lamería — The first-person conditional of lamer is lamería, the form for what would happen.
- lama — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of lamer is lama.
- lamiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of lamer is lamiera.
- hemos lamido — The nosotros present perfect of lamer is hemos lamido: hemos + lamido.
- lame — The affirmative tú imperative of lamer is lame.
- lamiendo — The gerund of lamer is lamiendo: estoy lamiendo. The participle lamido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does lamer mean in English?
Lamer means to lick. It is used in everyday situations such as Lamo el helado en verano. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is lamer regular or irregular?
Lamer is a fully regular -er 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 lamo in the present and lamí in the preterite.
What is the difference between lamer and chupar?
Lamer means to lick, while chupar means to suck. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use lamer when you mean to lick, as in Lamo el helado en verano, and use chupar for to suck. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I lick” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo lamí los labios después de comer. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo lamía la cuchara del postre. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he lamido los labios después de comer.
How do I practise lamer?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the lamer examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Lamer in the present tense — the full present-tense table for lamer.
- Lamer examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for lamer.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Contener conjugation — another -er verb to compare with lamer.
- Mantener conjugation — another -er verb to compare with lamer.
- Retener conjugation — another -er verb to compare with lamer.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.