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ponerlo

poh-NEHR-loh/poˈneɾlo/

to put it, to place it

Also: to set it down
A human hand gently placing a small, red block onto a wooden table.
infinitiveponer
gerundponiendo
past Participlepuesto

📝 In Action

Necesitas leer el libro antes de ponerlo en la estantería.

A1

You need to read the book before putting it on the shelf.

No puedo ponerlo ahí, no hay espacio suficiente.

A2

I can't put it there, there isn't enough space.

¿Dónde quieres que ponga el paquete? Quiero ponerlo cerca de la puerta.

B1

Where do you want me to put the package? I want to put it near the door.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • colocarlo (to place it)
  • situarlo (to locate it)

Common Collocations

  • ponerlo en orden – to put it in order
  • ponerlo en su sitio – to put it in its place

to turn it on, to start it

Also: to play it
A finger pressing a large green power button on a simple, round device, causing a bright light to emit from the device.

📝 In Action

Hace frío. ¿Puedes ponerlo (el calentador) en cinco minutos?

A2

It's cold. Can you turn it (the heater) on in five minutes?

La radio no funciona. ¿Sabes cómo ponerlo?

B1

The radio isn't working. Do you know how to turn it on?

La canción es genial. Vamos a ponerlo otra vez.

B2

The song is great. Let's play it again.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • encenderlo (to turn it on)
  • activarlo (to activate it)

Antonyms

  • apagarlo (to turn it off)

🔄 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 →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: ponerlo

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'ponerlo'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
poner(to put, to place) — Verb
la puesta(the setting (e.g., of the sun)) — Noun
la posición(position, placement) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The verb 'poner' comes from the Latin verb *ponere*, which meant 'to place' or 'to set down.' The pronoun '-lo' is a direct continuation of the Latin pronoun *illum* ('that one'), which evolved into the word for 'it' or 'him.'

First recorded: The root verb 'poner' has been in use since the earliest forms of Castilian Spanish (around the 10th-12th centuries).

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: pôrItalian: porre

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Frequently Asked Questions

When does 'lo' attach to the end of 'poner'?

The pronoun 'lo' attaches to the end of 'poner' only when 'poner' is in its infinitive form ('ponerlo'), the gerund form ('poniéndolo'), or an affirmative command form ('ponlo'). In all other tenses, 'lo' must go before the conjugated verb (e.g., 'Yo lo puse').

What if I want to say 'put them'?

If the objects you are putting are plural and masculine (like 'los vasos'), you would use the plural pronoun 'los' and say 'ponerlos.' If they are feminine (like 'las llaves'), you would use 'ponerlas.'