pon

pon/pon/

“pon” means “Put” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:

Put🔊A1Verb (Affirmative Command Form)

Physical placement

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Turn on🔊A2Verb (Affirmative Command Form)

Appliances or devices

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Write down🔊B1Verb (Affirmative Command Form)

Listing or taking notes

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Put, Place

Also: Lay, Set

Verb (Affirmative Command Form)A1irregular er

A close-up of a hand placing a bright red wooden block onto a clean wooden table, demonstrating physical placement.

infinitiveponer

gerundponiendo

past Participlepuesto

📝 In Action

¡Pon la mesa ahora mismo! Vamos a cenar.

Set the table right now! We are going to have dinner.

Pon el vaso sobre el posavasos, por favor.

Put the glass on the coaster, please.

Cuando llegues, pon las llaves en el gancho de la entrada.

When you arrive, put the keys on the hook by the entrance.

Word Connections

Synonyms

coloca (place (command))
mete (put inside (command))

Common Collocations

Ponlo allí – Put it there
Pon las manos – Put your hands

Turn on, Apply

Also: Set, Broadcast

Verb (Affirmative Command Form)A2irregular er

A finger pressing a glowing green power button on a simple, rounded white lamp, illustrating the action of activation.

infinitiveponer

gerundponiendo

past Participlepuesto

📝 In Action

¡Pon la televisión, por favor! Quiero ver las noticias.

Turn on the TV, please! I want to watch the news.

¡Pon mucha crema solar! El sol está muy fuerte.

Put on a lot of sunscreen! The sun is very strong.

Pon tu alarma para las siete de la mañana.

Set your alarm for seven in the morning.

Word Connections

Synonyms

enciende (turn on (command))
aplica (apply (command))

Antonyms

quita (remove (command))
apaga (turn off (command))

Common Collocations

Pon música – Put on music / Play music
Pon la radio – Turn on the radio

Write down, Make

Also: State

Verb (Affirmative Command Form)B1irregular er

A hand holding a pencil actively drawing a simple, thick line onto a blank sheet of bright yellow paper.

infinitiveponer

gerundponiendo

past Participlepuesto

📝 In Action

¡Pon más detalles en tu informe para que se entienda mejor!

Put more details in your report so it's understood better!

Pon atención a lo que dice el profesor. ¡Es importante!

Pay attention (Put attention) to what the professor is saying. It's important!

No te preocupes, pon buena cara y sonríe.

Don't worry, put on a good face (look happy) and smile.

Word Connections

Synonyms

escribe (write (command))
presta (lend (as in 'lend attention'))

Common Collocations

Pon un ejemplo – Give an example
Pon tu firma – Put your signature

Idioms & Expressions

Pon tu granito de arena – Do your part / Contribute a small bit

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedpone

yopongo

túpones

ellos/ellas/ustedesponen

nosotrosponemos

vosotrosponéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedponía

yoponía

túponías

ellos/ellas/ustedesponían

nosotrosponíamos

vosotrosponíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedpuso

yopuse

túpusiste

ellos/ellas/ustedespusieron

nosotrospusimos

vosotrospusisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedponga

yoponga

túpongas

ellos/ellas/ustedespongan

nosotrospongamos

vosotrospongáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpusiera/pusiese

yopusiera/pusiese

túpusieras/pusieses

ellos/ellas/ustedespusieran/pusiesen

nosotrospusiéramos/pusiésemos

vosotrospusierais/pusieseis

View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "pon" in Spanish:

apply→broadcast→lay→make→place→put→set→state→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pon

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'pon' correctly for physical placement?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

poner(to put, to place) — Verb

puesta(setting, placing, performance) — Noun

posición(position, placement) — Noun

🎵 Rhymes▼

son don no

📚 Etymology▼

'Pon' is the short, irregular command form derived from the verb 'poner'. 'Poner' comes directly from the Latin verb *ponere*, meaning 'to put, to place, or to set down.' The command form became shortened in Old Spanish, making it one of the core irregular verbs.

First recorded: Before 1200 AD (as *ponre*)

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: porreFrench: pondre

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'pon' so different from other Spanish commands?

'Pon' is highly irregular because it's a very old, fundamental verb. Its command form ('pon') is part of a small group of eight verbs that simply drop the end of the infinitive (*poner*) to make the short, informal command.

How do I make the command negative (tell someone NOT to put something)?

The negative command is much more regular! You use the present subjunctive form: 'No pongas'. For example: 'No pongas los pies en la mesa' (Don't put your feet on the table).