colocar

to place

verb koh-loh-KAHR Less Common

Origin: From Latin collocare.

Also means

to put

Usage Note

Colocar implies placing something carefully or deliberately in a specific position, with more precision than poner ('to put'). Colocar follows the -car spelling rule: c changes to qu before e (coloqué, coloque). The reflexive colocarse is also used colloquially in Spain to mean getting a job ('to land a job') or getting intoxicated.

Examples

"Coloca los libros en el estante."

Natural Translation

Place the books on the shelf.

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