The preterite of montar is used to express when someone rode or mounted something at a specific time in the past. For example, when you want to say “I rode a horse for the first time last summer” – “Monté a caballo por primera vez el verano pasado.”

This verb follows the regular -ar conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. It’s commonly used with vehicles and animals, often followed by ‘en’ or ‘a’ depending on the context.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Montar (to ride/mount) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The Preterite of montar indicates specific instances of riding or mounting.

To ride: Used for riding animals or vehicles, for example Monté a caballo (I rode a horse).

To set up/assemble: Refers to putting something together, for example Montaron la tienda de campaña (They set up the tent).

Examples

Examples of Montar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Los niños montaron sus bicicletas nuevas. (The children rode their new bicycles.)

Monté a caballo por primera vez ayer. (I rode a horse for the first time yesterday.)

¿Cuándo montaste tu negocio? (When did you set up your business?)

Montamos una fiesta sorpresa para ella. (We put together a surprise party for her.)

El técnico montó el nuevo equipo rápidamente. (The technician assembled the new equipment quickly.)

Montaron una exposición de arte moderno. (They set up a modern art exhibition.)

Monté los muebles yo mismo. (I assembled the furniture myself.)

La compañía montó un espectáculo increíble. (The company put on an incredible show.)

Montaste todo el proyecto tú solo. (You set up the entire project by yourself.)

Montamos la tienda de campaña antes del anochecer. (We set up the tent before nightfall.)

Los actores montaron la obra en dos horas. (The actors staged the play in two hours.)

Montó en cólera cuando se enteró. (He flew into a rage when he found out.)

Montamos guardia toda la noche. (We kept watch all night.)

El fotógrafo montó su estudio en el garaje. (The photographer set up his studio in the garage.)

Montaron un restaurante en el centro. (They set up a restaurant downtown.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Montar (to ride/mount) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.