Poner is a versatile and essential Spanish verb that means “to put,” “to place,” or “to set.” It is used whenever something is being placed, inserted, or established, and appears frequently in everyday conversation. Because it is an -er verb with some irregularities in certain forms, mastering poner opens up many expressive possibilities in Spanish.
- Meaning: to put, to place, to set
- Verb Type: Regular in most forms, but with an irregular stem (pon-) in some
- Key Uses: placing objects, turning on devices, setting conditions, expressing changes
Conjugation Summary
| Tense | Example (yo) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Present | pongo | Irregular “yo” form; stem pon- for others (pones) |
| Preterite | puse | Fully irregular stem: puse, pusiste, puso... |
| Imperfect | ponía | Regular for an -er verb |
| Future | pondré | Irregular stem “pondr-” + regular endings |
| Conditional | pondría | Same stem as future |
Present Indicative: to put (present)
| Subject | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Pongo | I put / I am putting |
| Tú | Pones | You put |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | Pone | He/She/You (formal) puts |
| Nosotros | Ponemos | We put |
| Vosotros | Ponéis | You all put |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | Ponen | They put |
Poner is commonly used in contexts like putting clothes on, setting the table, turning on appliances, and more.
Exercise
Conjugate poner in the present tense and use it in sentences for three different subjects.
Present usage
- Placing objects physically: Ella pone el libro en la mesa. (She puts the book on the table.)
- Activating devices: Yo pongo la radio cada mañana. (I turn on the radio every morning.)
- Starting roles or states: Nosotros ponemos las reglas. (We set the rules.)
Preterite Indicative: to put (past action, done)
| Subject | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Puse | I put |
| Tú | Pusiste | You put |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | Puso | He/She/You put |
| Nosotros | Pusimos | We put |
| Vosotros | Pusisteis | You all put |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | Pusieron | They put |
In the preterite, poner is highly irregular. It’s perfect for expressing when something was put in place, installed, or assigned in the past.
Exercise
Write six sentences using poner in the preterite, describing things you or others put/placed/activated.
Preterite usage
- Ayer puse las llaves en el cajón. (Yesterday I put the keys in the drawer.)
- Ellos pusieron la mesa para la cena. (They set the table for dinner.)
- ¿Cuándo pusiste el programa de televisión? (When did you set the TV program?)
Imperfect Indicative: to put (ongoing/ habitual in the past)
| Subject | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Ponía | I used to put / I was putting |
| Tú | Ponías | You used to put |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | Ponía | He/She/You used to put |
| Nosotros | Poníamos | We used to put |
| Vosotros | Poníais | You all used to put |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | Ponían | They used to put |
Use the imperfect for situations where putting was habitual, repeated, or described background.
Exercise
Describe a childhood routine using poner in the imperfect for all subjects.
Imperfect usage
- Cuando era niño, ponía mi mochila en el suelo todos los días.
- Ella ponía notas en su agenda cada semana.
- Nosotros poníamos música durante las fiestas.
Future Indicative: to put (will do)
| Subject | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Pondré | I will put |
| Tú | Pondrás | You will put |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | Pondrá | He/She/You will put |
| Nosotros | Pondremos | We will put |
| Vosotros | Pondréis | You all will put |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | Pondrán | They will put |
Use the future to express putting/placing/setting something at a later time.
Future usage
- Pondré la cena cuando lleguemos. (I will put/set dinner when we arrive.)
- ¿Pondrás las decoraciones para la fiesta? (Will you put up the decorations for the party?)
- Ellos pondrán las reglas mañana. (They will establish the rules tomorrow.)
Conditional: to put (would do)
| Subject | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Pondría | I would put |
| Tú | Pondrías | You would put |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | Pondría | He/She/You would put |
| Nosotros | Pondríamos | We would put |
| Vosotros | Pondríais | You all would put |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | Pondrían | They would put |
The conditional is used for polite requests, hypothetical situations, or suggestions.
Conditional Usage
- Yo pondría más atención si fuera tú. (I would pay more attention if I were you.)
- ¿Pondrías la puerta si te lo pidieran? (Would you close the door if asked?)
- Nosotros pondríamos la mesa, pero no tenemos platos suficientes. (We would set the table, but we don’t have enough dishes.)
Common Expressions with Poner
- Poner la mesa – to set the table
- Poner atención – to pay attention
- Poner música/película – to play music/a movie
- Poner gasolina – to put in gas
- Poner en marcha – to start (a machine)
- Ponerse + adj. – to become (emotion/physical state)
Conclusion
Poner is much more than a simple “to put” verb—it’s a core part of many daily routines and expressions in Spanish, from setting the table to turning on devices and expressing change. Mastering its forms and uses will greatly enrich your conversational skills.
- Core meaning: to put, place, set
- Irregular forms: present yo (pongo), preterite (puse...), future/conditional stem (pondr-)
- Wide usage: physical placing, starting things, common idiomatic phrases
Exercises
- Write sentences using poner in the present for actions you do at home.
- Describe a past event using poner in the preterite.
- Imagine future plans and use poner in the future tense.