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amontonar

ah-mon-toh-nahr/amon-to-ˈnaɾ/

“amontonar” means “to pile up” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to pile up

Also: to stack, to heap
VerbA2regular ar
A large, tall pile of colorful clothes and books sitting on a wooden floor.
gerundamontonando
past Participleamontonado
infinitiveamontonar

📝 In Action

No amontones la ropa sucia en el suelo.

A1

Don't pile up the dirty clothes on the floor.

Él amontona los libros en su escritorio.

A2

He stacks the books on his desk.

Tuvimos que amontonar la leña antes de que lloviera.

B1

We had to stack the firewood before it rained.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • amontonar basura – to pile up trash
  • amontonar cajas – to stack boxes

to accumulate

Also: to store up
VerbB1regular ar
A character sitting at a desk looking overwhelmed by a giant, towering stack of papers.
gerundamontonando
past Participleamontonado
infinitiveamontonar

📝 In Action

Se me amontona el trabajo esta semana.

B1

Work is piling up on me this week.

No es bueno amontonar rencor.

B2

It's not good to store up resentment.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • deshacerse de (to get rid of)

Common Collocations

  • amontonar deudas – to pile up debts

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesamontonaran
yoamontonara
túamontonaras
vosotrosamontonarais
nosotrosamontonáramos
él/ella/ustedamontonara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesamontonen
yoamontone
túamontones
vosotrosamontonéis
nosotrosamontonemos
él/ella/ustedamontone

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesamontonaron
yoamontoné
túamontonaste
vosotrosamontonasteis
nosotrosamontonamos
él/ella/ustedamontonó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesamontonaban
yoamontonaba
túamontonabas
vosotrosamontonabais
nosotrosamontonábamos
él/ella/ustedamontonaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesamontonan
yoamontono
túamontonas
vosotrosamontonáis
nosotrosamontonamos
él/ella/ustedamontona
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "amontonar" in Spanish:

to accumulate→to heap→to stack→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: amontonar

Question 1 of 3

If your desk is covered in messy piles of paper, which verb is most appropriate?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
montón(pile / heap / a lot) — Noun
amontonado(piled up / crowded) — Adjective
amontonamiento(the act of piling up / overcrowding) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Spanish 'a-' (towards/making) combined with 'montón' (pile), which originally comes from the Latin 'mons' (mountain). Literally, it means to turn something into a small mountain.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: amoncelerItalian: ammonticchiare

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'amontonar' and 'apilar'?

'Apilar' is used for neat, intentional stacks (like a stack of pancakes or bricks). 'Amontonar' is used for messy, disorganized piles (like a pile of laundry on a chair).

Can I use 'amontonar' for money?

Yes, you can use it to say someone is 'piling up' a fortune, though 'acumular' (accumulate) sounds slightly more formal.

Does it mean 'a lot'?

Not exactly, but its root 'montón' is used in the phrase 'un montón de' which means 'a lot of'.