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posponer

pohs-poh-NEHR/pospoˈner/

“posponer” means “to postpone” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to postpone, to put off

Also: to delay
VerbB1irregular er
A soccer ball and a pair of sports shoes sitting by a window while it rains outside.
gerundposponiendo
past Participlepospuesto
infinitiveposponer

📝 In Action

Tuvimos que posponer la reunión para el próximo martes.

B1

We had to postpone the meeting until next Tuesday.

No pospongas tus sueños por miedo al fracaso.

B2

Don't put off your dreams because of fear of failure.

Si sigue lloviendo, pospondrán el partido.

B1

If it keeps raining, they will postpone the match.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • posponer indefinidamente – to postpone indefinitely
  • posponer hasta nuevo aviso – to postpone until further notice

to subordinate

Also: to place after
VerbC1irregular erformal
A small, plain wooden toy block sitting behind a large, sparkling golden crown.

📝 In Action

Nunca debes posponer tus principios a tus intereses personales.

C1

You should never subordinate your principles to your personal interests.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • subpeditar (to subordinate)
  • relegar (to relegate)

Antonyms

  • anteponer (to put before/prioritize)

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedespospusieran
yopospusiera
túpospusieras
vosotrospospusierais
nosotrospospusiéramos
él/ella/ustedpospusiera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedespospongan
yoposponga
túpospongas
vosotrospospongáis
nosotrospospongamos
él/ella/ustedposponga

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedespospusieron
yopospuse
túpospusiste
vosotrospospusisteis
nosotrospospusimos
él/ella/ustedpospuso

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesposponían
yoposponía
túposponías
vosotrosposponíais
nosotrosposponíamos
él/ella/ustedposponía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesposponen
yopospongo
túpospones
vosotrosposponéis
nosotrosposponemos
él/ella/ustedpospone
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "posponer" in Spanish:

to subordinate→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: posponer

Question 1 of 3

Which of these is the correct 'yo' form in the simple past (preterite)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
posposición(postposition) — Noun
pospuesto(postponed) — Adjective
anteponer(to put before) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'postponere', which combines 'post' (after) and 'ponere' (to place).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: postponeFrench: postposer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'posponer' more common than 'aplazar'?

They are both very common. 'Posponer' is often used for events like meetings or games, while 'aplazar' can also refer to paying in installments (pagos aplazados).

Does it ever change its spelling like 'poner'?

Yes, it follows 'poner' in every single form. If 'poner' changes to 'puesto' or 'pondré', 'posponer' changes to 'pospuesto' and 'pospondré'.

Can I use it to talk about physical objects?

Yes, though it's formal. You could 'posponer' a word in a sentence, meaning you place it after another word.