poner Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
poner — to put
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'pusier-' stem: pusiera, pusieras, pusiera...
poner Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
Use this for past-tense 'wants' or 'doubts', and in 'if' clauses (e.g., 'If I put the money there...').
Notes on poner in the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is always based on the 3rd person plural of the preterite (pusieron). You drop the '-on' and add the subjunctive endings.
Example Sentences
Si yo pusiera más esfuerzo, sacaría mejores notas.
If I put in more effort, I would get better grades.
yo
Me pidió que pusiera la música más baja.
He asked me to turn (put) the music down.
yo
Si ellos pusieran atención, entenderían.
If they paid (put) attention, they would understand.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'poniera'.
Correct: pusiera.
Why: You must use the preterite stem 'pus-' for the imperfect subjunctive.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: pongo
Poner is regular in the present tense, except for the 'yo' form: pongo.
Preterite
yo: puse
The preterite of poner is highly irregular, using the 'pus-' stem: puse, pusiste, puso, pusimos, pusisteis, pusieron.
Imperfect
yo: ponía
Poner is completely regular in the imperfect: ponía, ponías, ponía...
Future
yo: pondré
The future of poner uses the irregular stem 'pondr-': pondré, pondrás, pondrá...
Conditional
yo: pondría
The conditional uses the irregular stem 'pondr-': pondría, pondrías, pondría...
Present Subjunctive
yo: ponga
The present subjunctive of poner follows the 'yo' form: ponga, pongas, ponga...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: pon
The command for 'tú' is short and irregular: pon.
Negative Imperative
yo: no pongas
Negative commands use the present subjunctive: no pongas, no ponga, no pongamos...