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lamer

lah-MEHRlaˈmeɾ

to lick

Also: to lap up
VerbA2regular er
A friendly golden retriever dog licking a large, colorful swirl lollipop.
gerundlamiendo
past Participlelamido
infinitivelamer

📝 In Action

El perro lame la mano de su dueño.

A1

The dog licks its owner's hand.

La niña lamió el helado de chocolate.

A2

The girl licked the chocolate ice cream.

El gato se está lamiendo las patas para limpiarse.

B1

The cat is licking its paws to clean itself.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • lamer un helado – to lick an ice cream
  • lamerse las heridas – to lick one's wounds

Idioms & Expressions

  • lamer los pies a alguien – To be overly submissive or to flatter someone excessively.

to lap against

Also: to graze
VerbB2regular erformal
Gentle blue ocean waves softly touching the golden sand of a beach.

📝 In Action

Las olas lamen suavemente la orilla.

B1

The waves lap gently against the shore.

El fuego empezó a lamer las paredes de la casa.

B2

The fire began to lap against the walls of the house.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • las olas lamen la arena – the waves lap the sand
  • el fuego lame – the fire laps/touches

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yolamiera
túlamieras
él/ella/ustedlamiera
nosotroslamiéramos
vosotroslamierais
ellos/ellas/ustedeslamieran

Present Subjunctive

yolama
túlamas
él/ella/ustedlama
nosotroslamamos
vosotroslamáis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslaman

Indicative

Preterite

yolamí
túlamiste
él/ella/ustedlamió
nosotroslamimos
vosotroslamisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslamieron

Imperfect

yolamía
túlamías
él/ella/ustedlamía
nosotroslamíamos
vosotroslamíais
ellos/ellas/ustedeslamían

Present

yolamo
túlames
él/ella/ustedlame
nosotroslamemos
vosotroslaméis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslamen
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "lamer" in Spanish:

to graze→to lick→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: lamer

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence describes a cat cleaning itself?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
lametazo(a big lick) — Noun
lamida(the act of licking) — Noun
lamedura(a lick mark or wound from licking) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'lambere,' which also meant to lick or to wash around.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: lambireEnglish: lap (indirectly related)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'lamer' an irregular verb?

No, it is a completely regular -er verb. It follows the exact same conjugation rules as 'comer'.

Can I use 'lamer' for a lollipop?

You can, but 'chupar' is more common for sweets you keep in your mouth for a long time.

What does 'lamerse las heridas' mean?

Literally 'to lick one's wounds.' Just like in English, it means to try to recover after a defeat or a difficult situation.