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pongan

POHN-gahn/ˈpoŋ.ɡan/

“pongan” means “put” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

put, place

Also: set, lay
VerbA2irregular er
A person's hand gently placing a single red apple onto a simple wooden table.
infinitiveponer
gerundponiendo
past Participlepuesto

📝 In Action

Por favor, pongan sus maletas aquí.

A2

Please, put your suitcases here (formal 'you all' command).

Necesito que pongan atención a las instrucciones.

B1

I need you all to pay attention to the instructions (subjunctive).

Ojalá que nos pongan una mesa grande.

B2

Hopefully, they set a big table for us (wish).

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • colocar (to place)
  • ubicar (to locate)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • Pongan la mesa – Set the table
  • Pongan un ejemplo – Give an example

turn on, play

Also: broadcast, screen
VerbB1irregular er
A finger pressing a switch to turn on a bright yellow table lamp, causing illumination.

📝 In Action

¡Que pongan la música ya!

B1

They should play the music already!

Les pedimos que pongan la calefacción.

B1

We ask you all to turn on the heating.

Cuando lleguen, pongan ese canal de noticias.

B2

When you all arrive, turn on that news channel.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • encender (to turn on)
  • reproducir (to play (media))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • Pongan la televisión – Turn on the TV
  • Pongan un disco – Put on a record/album

🔄 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 "pongan" in Spanish:

broadcast→lay→place→play→put→screen→set→turn on→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pongan

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'pongan' as a formal command?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The verb 'poner' comes directly from the Latin verb *ponere*, which meant 'to place' or 'to put.' It has been a core verb in Spanish since the language developed, and its irregularity is typical of very old, frequently used verbs.

First recorded: Pre-10th century (as *ponere* in Vulgar Latin)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: pôrItalian: porre

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'pongan' spelled with a 'g' if the base verb is 'poner'?

The verb 'poner' is irregular. Its 'yo' form in the present tense is 'pongo.' Spanish grammar dictates that this 'g' sound carries over into all the forms of the present subjunctive, including 'pongan,' to maintain a consistent pronunciation pattern.

Can I use 'pongan' to refer to a single person?

No. 'Pongan' is strictly plural. It refers to 'ellos' (they), 'ellas' (they, feminine), or 'ustedes' (you all, formal). If you are commanding or referring to a single formal person ('usted'), you must use 'ponga'.