montar
/monˈtaɾ/
The Spanish phrase for to ride is montar.
montar is used to describe the act of sitting on and controlling the movement of an animal or a vehicle. For the specific activity of horseback riding, the standard expression is montar a caballo.
Which one should you use?
While montar is used for riding animals and bicycles, it is not used for riding in a car. For cars, you would use ir en (to go in) instead. For formal descriptions specifically involving riding a horse, the verb cabalgar is often used.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are riding a vehicle such as a bicycle or a motorcycle, or when riding a horse, the verb is typically followed by the preposition en.
How do you pronounce it?
/monˈtaɾ/
Did you know?
- The term montar can be used in slang to describe 'putting on a scene' or creating a commotion, as in montar un espectáculo.
- In a figurative sense, montar can be used to describe starting a business or organizing an event, such as montar un negocio.
- The verb montar shares its roots with the English word 'mountain', as both originate from the Latin word for 'mountain' or 'hill'.
Examples in context
- ¿Sabes montar en bici?Do you know how to ride a bike?This sentence shows how to use montar when asking about riding a bike.Tatoeba #6789193 by arh, translation #6788833 by CK
- Él sabe montar a camello.He knows how to ride a camel.This sentence shows how to use montar when describing riding a camel.Tatoeba #3359246 by marcelostockle, translation #1751943 by Amastan
- ¿Sabes montar en bicicleta?Do you know how to ride a bicycle?This sentence shows how to use montar when asking about riding a bicycle.Tatoeba #3253248 by Shishir, translation #6788834 by CK
- Él cabalga en las montañasHe rides in the mountains
- Ella disfruta montar a caballoShe enjoys horseback riding
- El turista pasea en bicicletaThe tourist rides a bike
- ¿Quieres andar en bicicleta?Do you want to ride a bike?
- Me gusta andar en motoI like to ride a motorcycle
- Vamos a montar en bicicletaLet's go bike riding
- ¿Vamos a andar en bicicleta mañana? Hace buen tiempo.Shall we go bike riding tomorrow? The weather is nice.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a ranch, Javier and María are preparing for a ride.
- JavierMaría, ¿quieres montar a caballo hoy?María, do you want to ride a horse today?
- MaríaSí, me encanta montar en el campo.Yes, I love riding in the countryside.
- JavierEs un día perfecto para montar.It is a perfect day to ride.
- MaríaVamos, prepárate para la aventura.Let's go, get ready for the adventure.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry montar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries montar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
