Mamar in the Present Tense

Mamar means “to suckle”, and this page covers exactly one thing: mamar 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 mamar, 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 mamar in the present. For example: “Yo mamo del pecho de su madre.” — I suckle from his mother's breast. Everything on this page uses the forms of mamar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Mamar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo mamo
tú mamas
él/ella/Ud. mama
nosotros/as mamamos
vosotros/as mamáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. maman

Gerund: mamando · Past participle: mamado

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

How the present of mamar is formed

Mamar is regular in the present tense. Take the stem mam and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving mamo, mamas, mama, mamamos, mamáis, maman. Watch the accents: the yo form is mamo and the él/ella/Ud. form is mama.

When to use the present of mamar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use mamar 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 mamar is no exception. Example: “Yo mamo del pecho de su madre todos los días.” — I suckle from his mother's breast 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 mamar means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Mama cada tres horas de noche.” — He/she suckles every three hours at night.

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 mamo con calma en el sofá ahora.” — I suckle calmly on the sofa 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 mamamos hasta quedarse dormido.” — We suckle until he falls asleep.

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 mamas del pecho de su madre.” — You suckle from his mother's breast.

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 mamo del pecho de su madre todos los días.” — I suckle from his mother's breast every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo mamé del pecho de su madre.” — Yesterday, I suckled from his mother's breast.

  • 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 mama cada tres horas de noche cada semana.” — He/she suckles every three hours at night every week.

  • Preterite: “La semana pasada, él mamó cada tres horas de noche.” — Last week, he suckled every three hours at night.

  • 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 mamamos con calma en el sofá a menudo.” — We suckle calmly on the sofa often.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros mamamos con calma en el sofá.” — Yesterday, we suckled calmly on the sofa.

  • 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: mamar 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. “Mamo del pecho de su madre.” — I suckle from his mother's breast.

  2. “Mamas cada tres horas de noche.” — You suckle every three hours at night.

  3. “Mama con calma en el sofá.” — He/she suckles calmly on the sofa.

  4. “Mamamos hasta quedarse dormido.” — We suckle until he falls asleep.

  5. “Mamáis del pecho de su madre.” — You suckle from his mother's breast.

  6. “Maman cada tres horas de noche.” — They suckle every three hours at night.

  7. “Mamo con calma en el sofá.” — I suckle calmly on the sofa.

  8. “Mama hasta quedarse dormido.” — He/she suckles until he falls asleep.

Common mistakes with mamar 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 mama del pecho de su madre.” Right: “Ellos maman del pecho de su madre.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form maman. The singular mama belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Yo mamo cada tres horas de noche ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo mamé cada tres horas de noche.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to mamé.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros mamas con calma en el sofá.” Right: “Nosotros mamamos con calma en el sofá.” Why: Nosotros needs mamamos. The tú form mamas belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos mamo hasta quedarse dormido todos los días.” Right: “Ellos maman hasta quedarse dormido todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form maman, not the yo form mamo. 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: mamar 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 ______ del pecho de su madre.” (From his mother's breast.)

  • (a) mamo
  • (b) mamas
  • (c) mama

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

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ cada tres horas de noche?” (Every three hours at night.)

  • (a) mamo
  • (b) mama
  • (c) mamas

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

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ con calma en el sofá.” (Calmly on the sofa.)

  • (a) mamas
  • (b) mama
  • (c) mamo

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

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ hasta quedarse dormido.” (Until he falls asleep.)

  • (a) mamamos
  • (b) mamo
  • (c) mamas

Answer: mamamos — The nosotros/as form of mamar in the present is mamamos. 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 mamar in the present?

  • (a) mamo
  • (b) mamas
  • (c) mamáis

Answer: mamáis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes mamáis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros mamáis del pecho de su madre.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ cada tres horas de noche.” (Every three hours at night.)

  • (a) mamas
  • (b) maman
  • (c) mamo

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

  • (a) mamo
  • (b) mamas
  • (c) mama

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

8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?

  • (a) Yo mamé del pecho de su madre todos los días.
  • (b) Nosotros mamaremos del pecho de su madre mañana.
  • (c) Yo mamo del pecho de su madre todos los días.

Answer: Yo mamo del pecho de su madre todos los días. — “Yo mamo del pecho de su madre 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 mamar regular in the present?

Yes. Mamar is regular in the present: mamo, mamas, mama, mamamos, mamáis, maman. 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 mamar?

The past participle is mamado: 'He mamado' means 'I have suckled'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is mamando.

Does mamar take a preposition?

It depends on the meaning. Mamar is fully regular: mamé, mamaba, mamaré. Mamar del pecho is to suckle at the breast. In the examples on this page, mamar appears with complements such as del pecho de su madre and cada tres horas de noche, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.

How do I remember the present forms of mamar?

Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo mamo, tú mamas, él/ella/Ud. mama, nosotros/as mamamos, vosotros/as mamáis, ellos/ellas/Uds. maman. Then write three of your own sentences with mamar in the present, using the examples on this page as models.

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