ponerle
/poh-NEHR-leh/
to put it on (him/her/it)
Visualizing 'to put it on (him/her/it)' through the simple act of placing a hat.
ponerle(Verb (Infinitive + Pronoun))
to put it on (him/her/it)
?physical placement
,to add (to it)
?ingredient/component
to set (it for him/her)
?turning on devices
📝 In Action
Tienes que ponerle más agua a la sopa.
A2You have to add more water to the soup (to it).
¿Puedes ponerle la manta al bebé?
A2Can you put the blanket on the baby (for him)?
Voy a ponerle música mientras limpio.
B1I'm going to put on music (for myself) while I clean.
💡 Grammar Points
Verb + Pronoun Together
When you use the base verb form (the infinitive), you attach the pronoun 'le' directly to the end. This 'le' means 'to him,' 'to her,' 'to you (formal),' or 'to it.'
The Indirect Object
In these cases, 'le' tells you who or what is receiving the action. For example, in 'ponerle agua a la sopa,' the soup is the recipient of the water.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Accent
Mistake: "Ponerle (no accent)"
Correction: As a general rule, when you attach two or more syllables (like 'le') to an infinitive, you need to add a written accent to the original stressed syllable: Poner -> Ponérselo.
⭐ Usage Tips
Alternative Placement
You can also say 'Le tienes que poner agua a la sopa.' The pronoun 'le' can go before the conjugated verb OR attached to the infinitive.
This image shows the concept of 'to name (him/her)'—the moment an identity is assigned.
ponerle(Verb (Infinitive + Pronoun))
to name (him/her)
?giving a name
,to call (him/her)
?assigning a title
to baptize
?religious context
📝 In Action
Queremos ponerle un nombre original al nuevo perro.
B1We want to give an original name to the new dog (to it).
Si fuera niña, ¿qué nombre ibas a ponerle?
B1If it were a girl, what name were you going to give her?
⭐ Usage Tips
Naming Conventions
In Spanish, you don't 'give' a name (dar) as often as you 'put' a name (poner) on someone. Think of it as assigning the name to the person.
Depicting 'to put effort into it' by illustrating someone exerting great force on a difficult task.
ponerle(Verb (Infinitive + Pronoun))
to put effort into it
?encouragement/work
,to try hard
?general effort
to speed up
?velocity (in some regions)
📝 In Action
Necesitas ponerle más atención a los detalles.
B2You need to pay more attention to the details (to them).
¡Ponle! Ya casi terminamos el proyecto.
C1Try harder/Speed up! We're almost done with the project.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Ganas' Shortcut
When people say '¡Ponle!' they are often implying 'ponerle ganas' (to put effort in). It's a quick way to tell someone to try harder or hurry up.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: ponerle
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'ponerle' in the sense of 'to name'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the pronoun 'le' attached to the end of the verb 'poner'?
In Spanish, when a verb is in its base form (the infinitive, like 'poner'), or its '-ing' form (the gerund), the object pronouns ('le', 'lo', 'me', etc.) are always attached to the end, forming a single word. This makes the flow of speech smoother.
Does 'ponerle' always mean 'to him' or 'to her'?
Not always! While 'le' is the indirect object pronoun for singular people ('to him/her/you formal'), it is also commonly used to refer to things or concepts ('to it'). For example, 'Voy a ponerle aceite al motor' means 'I am going to put oil *in the motor* (to it).'