montar
/mon-TAR/
to ride
Montar means 'to ride' a horse, bicycle, or motorcycle.
📝 In Action
Ella aprendió a montar a caballo cuando era niña.
A2She learned to ride a horse when she was a child.
¿Sabes montar en bicicleta o en moto?
A1Do you know how to ride a bike or a motorcycle?
Montamos la ola más grande del día.
B1We rode the biggest wave of the day.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'a' or 'en'
When talking about riding an animal (horse, donkey), use 'montar a'. When riding a vehicle (bike, motorcycle), use 'montar en'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'montar' and 'conducir'
Mistake: "Conducir la bicicleta (To drive the bike)."
Correction: Montar en bicicleta (To ride the bike). 'Conducir' is usually reserved for cars or large machinery.
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on the Action
This verb focuses specifically on the act of sitting on and controlling the animal or vehicle.
Montar also means 'to assemble' furniture or a model kit.
montar(verb)
to assemble
?furniture, a kit, a model
,to put together
?pieces
to build
?from parts
📝 In Action
Necesitamos dos horas para montar la estantería de IKEA.
B1We need two hours to assemble the IKEA bookshelf.
Si no lees las instrucciones, no podrás montar el dron.
B2If you don't read the instructions, you won't be able to put together the drone.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Armar' Alternative
In many Latin American countries, 'armar' is used just as frequently as 'montar' to mean 'to assemble' or 'to put together.'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'construir'
Mistake: "Voy a construir la mesa (I am going to construct the table)."
Correction: Voy a montar la mesa. 'Construir' implies creating something from raw materials (like a house), while 'montar' is for pre-made pieces.
Montar can mean 'to set up' a scene, an exhibition, or a business.
montar(verb)
to set up
?a business, a scene, an exhibition
,to organize
?an event
to stage
?a theatrical scene
,to start
?a company
📝 In Action
Quiere montar un negocio de comida orgánica.
B2He wants to set up/start an organic food business.
El director está montando la próxima obra de teatro.
C1The director is staging the next play.
Montaron una fiesta sorpresa para su cumpleaños.
B2They organized a surprise party for his birthday.
⭐ Usage Tips
Using 'Poner' vs. 'Montar'
While 'poner' (to put) can sometimes work, 'montar' carries the sense of building or arranging something complex or large scale, like an entire show or business.
In another context, montar means 'to mount' something, such as a photograph or a tire.
montar(verb)
to mount
?a guard, a photograph, a tire
,to install
?a piece of equipment
to whip up
?cream or egg whites (culinary)
📝 In Action
El mecánico tuvo que montar un neumático nuevo.
B2The mechanic had to install a new tire.
Para el postre, hay que montar las claras a punto de nieve.
C1For the dessert, you have to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form (literally: 'snow point').
Montaron guardia toda la noche.
B2They mounted/stood guard all night.
⭐ Usage Tips
Culinary Use
When cooking, 'montar' is the specific verb used for whipping ingredients like cream or egg whites, causing them to increase in volume.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: montar
Question 1 of 2
Which meaning of 'montar' is used in the sentence: 'El chef va a montar la nata para el pastel'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'montar' only for riding animals, or can I use it for vehicles?
'Montar' is used for both animals (montar a caballo) and single-track vehicles like bicycles and motorcycles (montar en bicicleta). For cars, buses, or trains, you would typically use 'conducir' (to drive) or 'subir' (to get on).
What is the difference between 'montar' and 'armar' when assembling something?
They are often interchangeable. 'Montar' is the standard choice across Spain and Latin America for assembling furniture or kits. 'Armar' is also extremely common, especially in Latin America, and often carries the sense of assembling something complex, like a puzzle or a machine.