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lamer

lah-MEHR/laˈmeɾ/

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

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

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

present

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

indicative

preterite

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

imperfect

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

present

ellos/ellas/ustedeslamen
yolamo
túlames
vosotroslaméis
nosotroslamemos
él/ella/ustedlame
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.