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To say “put” in Spanish, your most common verb is going to be poner. With this verb in its various forms, you can also talk about setting the table, feeling your emotions, and naming a pet. Learning versatile verbs like “put” is an amazing way to begin to learn Spanish.
The verb poner means ‘to put’ and more
Poner is one of the most common Spanish verbs. In some cases, it translates directly to the English word “to put.” Use it for simple requests, to talk about chores, feelings, and more.
- ¿Puedes poner la carta en el buzón? = Can you put the letter in the mailbox?
- Voy a poner el contrato en lenguaje normal y corriente. = I’m going to put the contract in plain, everyday language.
- El gerente va a poner a Isabela a trabajar en recepción. = The manager is going to put Isabella to work in reception.
- Queremos ponerle fin a esta situación. = We want to put an end to this situation.
- Escuchar música me pone de buen humor. = Listening to music puts me in a good mood.
- Trabajo en una biblioteca. Pongo los nuevos libros en la estantería. = I work in a library. I put the new books on the shelf.
You can use poner for various useful expressions, not all of which translate to “put” in English. Don’t be intimidated when you see the variety of translations, as the context will help you.
- Voy a poner la mesa. = I’m going to set the table.
- Ponte aquí para la foto. = Stand here for the picture.
- No entregué la tarea y la maestra me puso cero. = I didn’t turn in the homework and the teacher gave me a zero.
- Algún día quiero poner una empresa en otra ciudad. = Someday, I want to open a business in another city.
Poner conjugation chart
If you’ve studied regular Spanish verbs, you will notice right away that poner is an irregular -ER verb. The present tense is irregular in the yo (I) form, so to say “I put” in Spanish, you use pongo, but the rest follow typical patterns for verb endings.
poner (to put; present tense)
| yo pongo | I put | nosotros poemos | we put |
| tú pones | you put (informal) | vosotros ponéis | you put (informal, plural – Spain only) |
| él/ella poneusted pone | he/she putsyou put (formal) | ellos/ellas ponenustedes ponen | they put you put (plural) |
Other common ways to say ‘put’ in Spanish
When you learn a language, expect to be flexible with word translations. Many Spanish words have more than one meaning in English and vice versa. This is part of how Rosetta Stone works as a proven method to learn uses of words in context. Here are a few of the most common verbs in Spanish that can be translated as “put.”
colocar (to place)
A synonym of “to put an object somewhere,” the verb colocar has the nuance of putting something in its correct location.
- Voy a colocar los materiales para colorear cerca de los pupitres. = I’m going to put the coloring materials near the student desks.
- Ella coloca bien los papeles cuando su jefa viene para observar. = She puts her papers in neat piles when her boss comes to observe.
meter (to put)
Similar to both colocar and poner for putting something in a location, the verb meter is mostly used when putting one thing inside another, including putting the pelota (ball) in the net in soccer. Meter un gol (to score a goal) is always the goal for fútbol (football/soccer).
- Cuando la temperatura esté a 400 grados, mete el pollo en el horno. = When the temperature is at 400 degrees, put the chicken in the oven.
- Tienes que meter la leche en el refrigerador. = You have to put the milk in the refrigerator.
In summary, though there is some overlap, when you want to say “put,” choose one of the following verbs:
- poner: generally putting something on a surface
- colocar: placing something in its expected location
- meter: putting something inside a container or interior
Translating English phrasal verbs with ‘put’
Imagine learning English and finding out that “put in” can mean “to contribute money,” “to request,” or “to work.” The differences between “put off,” “put on,” “put up,” and “put down,” might not stand out to English speakers who will comprehend the entire phrase as a whole, but they can be very tricky for English learners.
On the flip side, as you learn Spanish, you’ll find that Spanish and other Romance languages tend to have specific verbs in place of the phrasal verbs that English is so famous for. It helps to think of a more formal way to say the same idea in English, which may help you recall a Spanish verb that you know.
| Spanish Verb | English Phrasal Verb |
| añadir | to put in (to add to food) |
| anotar | to put down (to take note of) |
| apartar | to put away an amount of money |
| apostar | to put an amount of money on (to bet) |
| contribuir con | to put in (an amount of money) |
| devolver | to put back |
| hablar mal de | to put down (to speak badly of) |
| engordar/subir de peso | to put on weight |
| estimar | to put something at (to estimate) |
| guardar | to put away (to tidy up) |
| mandar | to put in (apply for) |
| postergar/posponer | to put off (to procrastinate) |
| solicitar/pedir | to put in for (to request) |
| trabajar | to put in hours (to work) |
Key Takeaways for saying ‘put’ in Spanish
The verb poner is the most common translation of “to put” in Spanish, but it’s by far not the only one.
- Poner can mean a variety of other English translations, depending on its use and context.
- It’s one of the more common irregular verbs in Spanish.
- There is both overlap and nuance between poner, colocar, and meter meaning “to put something somewhere.”
- The word “put” forms many phrasal verbs in English. The best way to learn how to say them in Spanish is to see them as full phrases in context.
