PONER
To put, to place, to set
Poner is a highly irregular and incredibly useful verb. While it primarily translates to "to put" or "to place," it is used in dozens of everyday expressions (like setting the table, turning on an appliance, putting on clothes, or making an excuse).
Poner Conjugation Chart
| Pronoun | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | pongo | puse | ponía | pondré | pondría |
| Tú | pones | pusiste | ponías | pondrás | pondrías |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | pone | puso | ponía | pondrá | pondría |
| Nosotros | ponemos | pusimos | poníamos | pondremos | pondríamos |
| Vosotros | ponéis | pusisteis | poníais | pondréis | pondríais |
| Ellos/Uds. | ponen | pusieron | ponían | pondrán | pondrían |
Shortcut: The Poner & Tener Families
Poner and tener are among the most useful irregular Spanish verbs. The useful pattern is not one irregular ending — it is a set of recurring stems. Many compounds of poner keep the same irregular changes: -pongo in the present, -pondr- in the future and conditional, and -pus- in the preterite.
Poner Pattern
Tener Pattern
The English Connection
English gives you another useful memory connection. Some common English words ending in -pose correspond to Spanish verbs ending in -poner, while several -tain words have Spanish counterparts ending in -tener. This is a useful word-family connection, not a universal rule.
- componer compose
- proponer propose
- suponer suppose
- oponer oppose
- imponer impose
- exponer expose
- posponer postpone
- mantener maintain
- obtener obtain
- contener contain
- detener detain
- retener retain
- sostener sustain
- entretener entertain
PONER family
posponer → pospongo → pospondré → pospuse
The same pon- pattern appears in related verbs.
TENER family
mantener → mantengo → mantendré → mantuve
The same ten- pattern appears in related verbs.
English -pose Spanish -poner | English -tain Spanish -tener
A helpful memory connection — not a rule for every word.
PONER Doesn't Always Mean “Put”
Poner changes meaning depending on what comes after it. Learning these common combinations is one of the fastest ways to sound more natural.
poner la mesa
to set the table
poner música
to put on / play music
poner una alarma
to set an alarm
poner atención
to pay attention
poner una excusa
to make / give an excuse
poner un nombre
to give / choose a name
poner una multa
to give a fine
poner en marcha
to start / set in motion
ponerse nervioso
to get nervous
ponerse triste
to get sad
ponerse la chaqueta
to put on the jacket
poner en duda
to call into question
poner en práctica
to put into practice
poner a prueba
to put to the test
A useful reflexive pattern
Put the book here.
ponerse nervioso = get nervous
Ponte la chaqueta. = Put on your jacket.
Poner vs. Ponerse
A small change can create a very different meaning.
poner + object
Pongo el libro en la mesa.
I put the book on the table.
ponerse + adjective
Me pongo nervioso antes de los exámenes.
I get nervous before exams.
ponerse + clothing
Me pongo la chaqueta.
I put my jacket on.
ponerse a + infinitive
Se puso a llorar.
He/She started crying.
poner + person/object + adjective
Eso me puso nervioso.
That made me nervous.
No te pongas así.
Don't get like that.
¿Qué le pongo?
What shall I put on it?
PONER in Songs
“Te pones celoso si me ves con otro.”
“You get jealous if you see me with someone else.”
te pones = you get / become
ponerse celoso = to get jealous
— Celoso, Lele Pons
Most Common Real-Life Spanish Sentences
The best way to learn an irregular verb is through context. Here is how native speakers use poner in common tenses and everyday situations.
Present
Siempre pongo las llaves en el mismo sitio.
I always put the keys in the same place.
¿Dónde pongo esta caja?
Where do I put this box?
Pongo música cuando trabajo.
I play music when I work.
Mi madre pone la mesa todas las noches.
My mother sets the table every night.
Siempre ponen buenas películas los viernes.
They always show good movies on Fridays.
¿Pones azúcar en el café?
Do you put sugar in your coffee?
Nunca pongo excusas.
I never make excuses.
El profesor pone muchos deberes.
The teacher gives a lot of homework.
Ponemos la calefacción cuando hace frío.
We turn on the heating when it's cold.
¿Qué nombre le pones al perro?
What name are you giving the dog?
Preterite
Ayer puse el móvil sobre la mesa.
Yesterday I put my phone on the table.
Le puse más queso a la pizza.
I added more cheese to the pizza.
Mi hermana puso una cafetería el año pasado.
My sister opened a café last year.
Nos pusieron una multa por aparcar mal.
We got a fine for parking incorrectly.
El profesor me puso un sobresaliente.
The teacher gave me an excellent grade.
Pusimos la televisión para ver el partido.
We turned on the TV to watch the match.
Le pusieron Daniel al bebé.
They named the baby Daniel.
Puse una alarma para despertarme temprano.
I set an alarm to wake up early.
Mi jefe puso nuevas normas.
My boss introduced new rules.
Pusieron aire acondicionado en la oficina.
They installed air conditioning in the office.
Imperfect
Mi abuela siempre ponía flores en la ventana.
My grandmother always put flowers on the window sill.
Cuando era niño, ponía la televisión después de cenar.
When I was a child, I used to turn on the TV after dinner.
Mi padre ponía música los domingos.
My father used to play music on Sundays.
Antes poníamos la mesa entre todos.
We used to set the table together.
Siempre me ponían tareas extra.
They always gave me extra assignments.
Mi madre me ponía protector solar en verano.
My mother used to put sunscreen on me in the summer.
Poníamos la calefacción cada invierno.
We used to turn on the heating every winter.
Ella siempre ponía buena cara.
She always put on a cheerful face.
Antes no ponía atención en clase.
I didn't use to pay attention in class.
Siempre ponían las noticias a las nueve.
They always showed the news at nine.
Present Perfect
He puesto el móvil a cargar.
I've put my phone on the charger.
Ya he puesto la mesa.
I have already set the table.
Hemos puesto gasolina.
We have filled up with gas.
¿Has puesto la alarma?
Have you set the alarm?
Nunca he puesto esa excusa.
I have never used that excuse.
Mi empresa ha puesto nuevas condiciones.
My company has introduced new conditions.
Ya han puesto la calefacción.
They have already turned on the heating.
¿Quién ha puesto esta canción?
Who put on this song?
He puesto todo en orden.
I have put everything in order.
¿Has puesto el lavavajillas?
Have you turned on the dishwasher?
Future
Pondré más atención la próxima vez.
I will pay more attention next time.
Te pondré un mensaje cuando llegue.
I'll send you a message when I arrive.
Pondremos una televisión nueva.
We will install a new television.
Pondrán más autobuses el próximo año.
They will add more buses next year.
Le pondré tu nombre al archivo.
I'll put your name on the file.
Esto lo pondremos en un sobre con su nombre.
We will put this in an envelope with your name.
Pondremos el proyecto en marcha pronto.
We will get the project started soon.
Pondré la mesa antes de que lleguen.
I will set the table before they arrive.
¿Dónde pondrás el coche?
Where will you park the car?
Conditional
Yo pondría más luz en esta habitación.
I would add more light to this room.
No pondría tanto dinero en ese proyecto.
I wouldn't put so much money into that project.
¿Dónde pondrías el sofá?
Where would you put the sofa?
Pondríamos una terraza si tuviéramos espacio.
We would build a terrace if we had space.
Le pondría otro nombre.
I would give it another name.
No pondría esa foto en internet.
I wouldn't post that photo online.
Pondría la calefacción si tuviera frío.
I would turn on the heating if I were cold.
¿Qué pondrías en esta situación?
What would you put here?
Yo no pondría esa excusa.
I wouldn't use that excuse.
Present Subjunctive
Espero que pongas atención.
I hope you pay attention.
Quiero que pongas la mesa.
I want you to set the table.
Es importante que pongan límites.
It's important that they set boundaries.
Dudo que ponga una excusa.
I doubt that he/she will make an excuse.
Necesito que pongas el móvil en silencio.
I need you to put your phone on silent mode.
Ojalá pongan más trenes.
Hopefully they'll add more trains.
Me alegra que pongas interés.
I'm glad you're showing interest.
Es mejor que pongamos todo por escrito.
It's better that we put everything in writing.
No creo que pongan problemas.
I don't think they'll cause any problems.
Quiero que pongas más esfuerzo.
I want you to put in more effort.
Positive Commands (¡Pon... / Ponte...!)
- Pon la mesa. Set the table.
- Pon atención. Pay attention.
- Ponte la chaqueta. Put your jacket on.
- Ponte cómodo. Make yourself comfortable.
- Ponte de pie. Stand up.
- Pon música. Put on some music.
- Pon el móvil a cargar. Put your phone on charge.
- Pon más hielo. Add more ice.
- Pon la calefacción. Turn on the heating.
- Pon la alarma. Set the alarm.
- Pon tu nombre aquí. Write your name here.
Negative Commands (¡No pongas...!)
- No pongas excusas. Don't make excuses.
- No te pongas triste. Don't get sad.
- No te pongas nervioso. Don't get nervous.
- No te pongas a llorar. Don't start crying.
- No te pongas esa camisa. Don't put that shirt on.
- No pongas esa cara. Don't make that face.
- No pongas los pies sobre la mesa. Don't put your feet on the table.
- No pongas demasiada sal. Don't add too much salt.
- No pongas música tan alta. Don't play the music so loudly.
- No pongas en riesgo tu salud. Don't put your health at risk.
- No pongas palabras en mi boca. Don't put words in my mouth.