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poner

to put

verb poh-NEHR Common
Home & Lifestyle Household Items

Origin: From Latin ponere.

Also means

to place

Usage Note

Poner is highly irregular: first-person singular present pongo, preterite puse, future pondré. It is one of Spain's most overloaded verbs: poner la mesa (set the table), poner una multa (issue a fine), poner el despertador (set the alarm). The reflexive ponerse means 'to put on' (clothing) or 'to become' (se puso triste — he became sad), making it a key verb for expressing emotional change.

Examples

"Pon los libros en la estantería."

Natural Translation

Put the books on the shelf.

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