Montar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb montar means to ride, to mount, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Montar means to ride or to mount, and it is used for riding a horse, a bicycle or a motorbike, and for getting on a horse. It also means to put together or to set up, as in montar una tienda de campaña, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, montar 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 monto a caballo por el campo, and in the preterite you say monté la tienda de campaña en el jardín. 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: montar
- English: to ride, to mount
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: montando
- Past participle: montado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + montado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for montar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Montar a caballo is to ride a horse; montar en bicicleta is to ride a bike. The preposition changes with the vehicle.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for montar. 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 | monto |
| tú | montas |
| él/ella/Ud. | monta |
| nosotros/as | montamos |
| vosotros/as | montáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | montan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | monté |
| tú | montaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | montó |
| nosotros/as | montamos |
| vosotros/as | montasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | montaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | montaba |
| tú | montabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | montaba |
| nosotros/as | montábamos |
| vosotros/as | montabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | montaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | montaré |
| tú | montarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | montará |
| nosotros/as | montaremos |
| vosotros/as | montaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | montarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | montaría |
| tú | montarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | montaría |
| nosotros/as | montaríamos |
| vosotros/as | montaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | montarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he montado |
| tú | has montado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha montado |
| nosotros/as | hemos montado |
| vosotros/as | habéis montado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han montado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había montado |
| tú | habías montado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había montado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos montado |
| vosotros/as | habíais montado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían montado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré montado |
| tú | habrás montado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá montado |
| nosotros/as | habremos montado |
| vosotros/as | habréis montado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán montado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría montado |
| tú | habrías montado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría montado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos montado |
| vosotros/as | habríais montado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían montado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | monte |
| tú | montes |
| él/ella/Ud. | monte |
| nosotros/as | montemos |
| vosotros/as | montéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | monten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | montara |
| tú | montaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | montara |
| nosotros/as | montáramos |
| vosotros/as | montarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | montaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | monta |
| él/ella/Ud. | monte |
| nosotros/as | montemos |
| vosotros/as | montad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | monten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | montes |
| él/ella/Ud. | monte |
| nosotros/as | montemos |
| vosotros/as | montéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | monten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | montando | with estar for the progressive: estoy montando |
| Past participle | montado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he montado |
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 montar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Monto a caballo por el campo. 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 montar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, monté en bicicleta por el campo. 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 montar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, montaba la tienda de campaña en el jardín. 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 montar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, montaré en moto hasta el pueblo. 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 montar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Montaría a caballo por el campo 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 montar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he montado en bicicleta por el campo. 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 montar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había montado la tienda de campaña en el jardín 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 montar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré montado en moto hasta el pueblo. 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 montar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría montado a caballo por el campo 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 montar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él monte en bicicleta por el campo. 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 montar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él montara la tienda de campaña en el jardín, 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 montar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Monta en moto hasta el pueblo! 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 montar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No montes a caballo por el campo. 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 montar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Monto a caballo por el campo. — I ride on horseback across the countryside.
- Monta en bicicleta por el campo. — He/she rides by bicycle across the countryside.
- Ayer, monté la tienda de campaña en el jardín. — Yesterday, I rode the tent in the garden.
- Antes, nosotros montábamos en moto hasta el pueblo. — Before, we used to ride by motorbike to the village.
- Mañana, tú montarás a caballo por el campo. — Tomorrow, you will ride on horseback across the countryside.
- Yo montaría en bicicleta por el campo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would ride by bicycle across the countryside if I had more time.
- Él ha montado la tienda de campaña en el jardín. — He has ridden the tent in the garden.
- Espero que él monte en moto hasta el pueblo. — I hope he rides by motorbike to the village.
- Yo ya había montado a caballo por el campo antes de salir. — I had already ridden on horseback across the countryside before leaving.
- Ellos montaban en bicicleta por el campo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to ride by bicycle across the countryside when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo monta a caballo por el campo. — Right: Yo monto a caballo por el campo. — The person matters: monta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is monto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo monto en bicicleta por el campo. — Right: Ayer yo monté en bicicleta por el campo. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: monto is happening now, while monté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating montar and conducir as identical in every context. — Right: Montar means to ride, to mount, while conducir means to drive. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: montar fits sentences such as Monto a caballo por el campo, while conducir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy montado en bicicleta por el campo. — Right: Yo he montado en bicicleta por el campo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he montado, has montado, ha montado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo monté la tienda de campaña en el jardín todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo montaba la tienda de campaña en el jardín todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (montaba), not the preterite. The preterite (monté) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on montar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a caballo por el campo. (present tense) A. monto B. montas C. monta D. montamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en bicicleta por el campo. (preterite) A. monté B. montaste C. montaron D. montó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la tienda de campaña en el jardín. (imperfect) A. montabas B. montaban C. montábamos D. montaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ en moto hasta el pueblo. (future) A. montaremos B. montarás C. montaré D. montará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a caballo por el campo si pudiera. (conditional) A. montaría B. montarías C. montarían D. monto
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en bicicleta por el campo. (present subjunctive) A. montes B. montemos C. monto D. monte
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la tienda de campaña en el jardín, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. montáramos B. monto C. montara D. montaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en moto hasta el pueblo. (present perfect) A. han montado B. hemos montado C. he montado D. has montado
Complete the command: ¡___ a caballo por el campo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. monta B. monte C. montemos D. montad
Which is the gerund of montar, used with estar for the progressive? A. montado B. monto C. monté D. montando
Answer key
- monto — The first-person present of montar is monto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- montó — The third-person preterite of montar is montó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- montábamos — The nosotros imperfect of montar is montábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- montarás — The second-person future of montar is montarás.
- montaría — The first-person conditional of montar is montaría, the form for what would happen.
- monte — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of montar is monte.
- montara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of montar is montara.
- hemos montado — The nosotros present perfect of montar is hemos montado: hemos + montado.
- monta — The affirmative tú imperative of montar is monta.
- montando — The gerund of montar is montando: estoy montando. The participle montado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does montar mean in English?
Montar means to ride, to mount. It is used in everyday situations such as Monto a caballo por el campo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is montar regular or irregular?
Montar 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 monto in the present and monté in the preterite.
What is the difference between montar and conducir?
Montar means to ride, to mount, while conducir means to drive. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use montar when you mean to ride, to mount, as in Monto a caballo por el campo, and use conducir for to drive. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I ride” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo monté en bicicleta por el campo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo montaba la tienda de campaña en el jardín. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he montado en bicicleta por el campo.
How do I practise montar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the montar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Montar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for montar.
- Montar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for montar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Manejar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with montar.
- Patinar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with montar.
- Aparcar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with montar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.