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ponerme

po-NER-me/poˈneɾme/

to put on (clothing, accessories)

Also: to wear
VerbA1irregular (stem changes in certain forms) er
A smiling person is putting a bright red scarf around their neck.
infinitiveponer
gerundponiendo
past Participlepuesto

📝 In Action

Necesito ponerme un abrigo, hace frío.

A1

I need to put on a coat, it's cold.

Voy a ponerme estas gafas de sol antes de salir.

A2

I'm going to put on these sunglasses before leaving.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • vestirme (to dress myself)
  • colocarme (to place on myself)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • ponerme la chaqueta – to put on my jacket
  • ponerme los zapatos – to put on my shoes

to become, to get

Also: to grow
VerbA2irregular (reflexive form of Poner) er
A simple cartoon character smiling brightly, with yellow beams of light radiating outwards from their head and body, symbolizing sudden happiness.
infinitiveponer
gerundponiendo
past Participlepuesto

📝 In Action

Intento no ponerme nervioso antes de un examen.

A2

I try not to get nervous before an exam.

Al ver la película, empecé a ponerme triste.

B1

Upon seeing the movie, I started to become sad.

Si salgo sin sombrero, puedo ponerme malo.

B1

If I go out without a hat, I could get sick.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • volverse (to become (often permanent change))
  • hacerme (to make myself (or become))

Common Collocations

  • ponerme rojo – to blush (to turn red)
  • ponerme furioso – to get furious

to start, to set about (doing something)

Also: to get down to
VerbB2irregular (phrasal verb) er
A runner bursting forward from the starting blocks on a track, showing motion and the immediate beginning of a task.
infinitiveponer
gerundponiendo
past Participlepuesto

📝 In Action

Tengo que ponerme a estudiar para el examen final.

B2

I have to start studying for the final exam.

Después de comer, me voy a ponerme a limpiar la cocina.

B2

After eating, I'm going to start cleaning the kitchen.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • empezar a (to start)
  • comenzar a (to begin)

Antonyms

  • terminar de (to finish)

🔄 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 "ponerme" in Spanish:

to get→to grow→to start→to wear→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: ponerme

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'ponerme' to mean 'to get dressed'?

📚 More Resources

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

From the Latin verb *ponere*, meaning 'to place' or 'to lay down.' The modern Spanish form kept the core meaning of placement, which then evolved into 'placing (clothes) on oneself' and 'placing oneself (into a state).'

First recorded: Before the 10th century (Old Spanish)

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: porreFrench: pondre

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'ponerme' end in -me?

The base verb is 'poner' (to put). The '-me' tells you that the action is happening to the speaker (myself). It's a way to show that 'I' am putting something on 'me' or 'I' am putting 'myself' into a state.

Is 'ponerme' the same as 'me pongo'?

They are related! 'Ponerme' is the base form (infinitive + pronoun), used after other verbs (e.g., 'debo ponerme'). 'Me pongo' is the fully conjugated 'I' form in the present tense (e.g., 'Yo me pongo la chaqueta').