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SpanishConjugationPresent

Poner (to put) · Present

By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated

Poner in the Spanish present (presente) is: yo pongo, tú pones, él/ella/usted pone, nosotros/as ponemos, vosotros/as ponéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes ponen. The present of poner is regular for an -er verb except for the irregular yo form 'pongo' (with an inserted 'g'). The rest follows the standard -er pattern.

poner conjugation in the Present (Presente)
To PutPoner
I put
yo pongo
you put
tú pones
he/she puts
él/ella/usted pone
we put
nosotros/as ponemos
you put
vosotros/as ponéis
they put
ellos/ellas/ustedes ponen
Examples

Poner (to put) in context

Sentences that use poner in the present. Tap each to hear it.

Pongo la mesa todas las noches.

I set the table every night.

¿Dónde pones las llaves normalmente?

Where do you usually put the keys?

Mi madre pone flores frescas cada semana.

My mother puts fresh flowers every week.

Ponemos música mientras cocinamos.

We play music while we cook.

Ponéis demasiada sal a la comida.

You put too much salt on the food.

Los profesores ponen mucha tarea.

The teachers assign a lot of homework.

Tip

Working with the present

Spanish uses the present tense more broadly than English does. "Estudio español" can mean "I study Spanish," "I am studying Spanish," or "I do study Spanish" — context decides. The biggest stumbling block for English speakers is the yo form of irregular verbs (hago, tengo, doy, voy, soy). Memorise those individually; the other persons usually follow regular patterns.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate poner in the present tense?
Poner in the present is: yo pongo, tú pones, él/ella/usted pone, nosotros/as ponemos, vosotros/as ponéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes ponen. Only the yo form 'pongo' is irregular — every other person follows the regular -er pattern.
What does 'ponerse' mean?
The reflexive 'ponerse' means 'to become' or 'to put on (clothing)': 'me pongo nervioso' (I get nervous), 'se pone los zapatos' (he puts on his shoes), 'se puso rojo' (he turned red / blushed). 'Ponerse' for emotional or physical states pairs with adjectives ('ponerse triste' = to get sad). For longer-lasting state changes, Spanish uses 'volverse' ('volverse loco' = to go crazy) or 'hacerse' ('hacerse rico' = to become rich).
Why does the yo form 'pongo' have a 'g'?
Poner joins about a dozen Spanish verbs that add a 'g' to the yo form: poner → pongo, tener → tengo, venir → vengo, decir → digo, hacer → hago, salir → salgo. This pattern (verbos con yo irregular en -go) comes from Latin sound changes that hardened a soft consonant before the final '-o' ending.
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More tenses of Poner (To Put)

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Poner (to put) · Preterite

More verbs in present

All tenses
Poner (to put)
present
Ser (to be)
present
Estar (to be)
present
Tener (to have)
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