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pongamos

pohn-GAH-mohs/poŋˈɡamos/

“pongamos” means “let's put” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

let's put, (that) we put/place/set

Also: let's turn on, let's start
VerbA2irregular er
A storybook illustration showing two children cooperating to place a bright red apple into a small wooden box, illustrating the action of 'let's put.'
infinitiveponer
gerundponiendo
past Participlepuesto

📝 In Action

Pongamos la mesa antes de que lleguen los invitados.

A1

Let's set the table before the guests arrive.

Es crucial que pongamos atención a los detalles.

B1

It is crucial that we pay attention to the details.

No pongamos excusas y terminemos el trabajo.

A2

Let's not make excuses and let's finish the work.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • coloquemos (let's place)
  • sugiramos (let's suggest (in context of 'let's suppose'))

Common Collocations

  • Pongamos atención – Let's pay attention
  • Pongamos fin a esto – Let's put an end to this

let's suppose, let's imagine

Also: for example
A storybook illustration of a woman sitting on a hill, looking up at a thought bubble above her head. Inside the bubble is a fantastical image of a purple pig with tiny wings flying, representing a hypothetical situation.

📝 In Action

Pongamos que tienes un millón de dólares, ¿qué harías?

B2

Let's suppose you have a million dollars, what would you do?

Pongamos por caso que la reunión se cancela. ¿Cuál es el plan B?

C1

Let's imagine, for argument's sake, that the meeting is canceled. What is Plan B?

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

preterite

él/ella/ustedpuso
ellos/ellas/ustedespusieron
vosotrospusisteis
nosotrospusimos
yopuse
túpusiste

present

él/ella/ustedpone
ellos/ellas/ustedesponen
vosotrosponéis
nosotrosponemos
yopongo
túpones

imperfect

él/ella/ustedponía
ellos/ellas/ustedesponían
vosotrosponíais
nosotrosponíamos
yoponía
túponías

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedponga
ellos/ellas/ustedespongan
vosotrospongáis
nosotrospongamos
yoponga
túpongas

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpusiera/pusiese
ellos/ellas/ustedespusieran/pusiesen
vosotrospusierais/pusieseis
nosotrospusiéramos/pusiésemos
yopusiera/pusiese
túpusieras/pusieses
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pongamos

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'pongamos' as a command or suggestion?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
poner(to put/place) — Verb
puesto(position/job) — Noun
posición(position/placement) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *ponere*, meaning 'to put' or 'to place.' It is closely related to many English words that use the root 'pose' or 'position.'

First recorded: Old Spanish (around the 11th century) as 'poner.'

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: porrePortuguese: pôr

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'pongamos' have a 'g' if the infinitive is 'poner'?

Poner is an irregular verb. The 'g' sound appears in the first person singular ('yo pongo') and carries over into the entire present subjunctive form (ponga, pongas, pongamos, etc.). This makes it a 'go-verb' in Spanish.

Is 'pongamos' a command or a statement of uncertainty?

It can be both! The 'nosotros' (we) form of the command ('Let's...') is exactly the same as the 'nosotros' form of the present subjunctive (used for uncertainty, wishes, or necessity). The context tells you which meaning is intended.