lamer Preterite Conjugation
lamer — to lick
The preterite of lamer (lamí, lamiste, lamió, etc.) describes completed licking actions in the past.
lamer Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for the action of licking when it happened at a specific moment or for a defined duration in the past. For example, 'He licked the stamp once' or 'The dog licked my hand'.
Notes on lamer in the Preterite
Lamer is regular in the preterite tense. All the endings are standard for -er verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo lamí el sello para pegarlo.
I licked the stamp to stick it.
yo
¿Tú lamiste la cuchara después de comer?
Did you lick the spoon after eating?
tú
El perro lamió mi cara cuando llegué.
The dog licked my face when I arrived.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros lamimos las heridas del gato.
We licked the cat's wounds.
nosotros
Ellos lamieron el dulce hasta que no quedó nada.
They licked the candy until nothing was left.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single, completed lick, e.g., 'El perro lamía mi cara'.
Correct: For a specific, completed action, use the preterite: 'El perro lamió mi cara'.
Why: The preterite marks a finished action, while the imperfect describes an ongoing or habitual past action.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'lamí' (yo) or 'lamió' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The yo form is 'lamí' and the él/ella/usted form is 'lamió', both with accents.
Why: The accents are crucial for pronunciation and to distinguish these forms from other tenses or words.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: lamo
The present indicative (lamo, lames, lame, etc.) describes current or habitual licking.
Imperfect
yo: lamía
The imperfect (lamía, lamías, etc.) describes past habits or ongoing licking actions.
Future
yo: lameré
The future tense (lameré, lamerás, etc.) indicates licking actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: lamería
The conditional (lamería, lamerías, etc.) expresses 'would' licking, polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: lama
The present subjunctive (lama, lamas, etc.) is used for wishes, doubts, and emotions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: lamiera
The imperfect subjunctive forms (lamiera, lamieras, etc.) express hypothetical or past subjunctive actions.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: lame
Lame, lamad, lama, lamamos, laman are commands for 'lick'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no lamas
No lamas, no lamáis, no lama, no lamamos, no laman are negative commands for 'lick'.