pusieron
“pusieron” means “they put” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
they put, they placed
Also: you all set (formal)
📝 In Action
Ellos **pusieron** los libros en la mesa hace una hora.
A1They put the books on the table an hour ago.
Mis vecinos **pusieron** luces de Navidad muy temprano.
A2My neighbors put up Christmas lights very early.
they turned on, they played
Also: they broadcast
📝 In Action
Los niños **pusieron** su película favorita en el DVD.
A2The children put on their favorite movie on the DVD player (or: The children started their favorite movie).
Cuando llegamos, ya **pusieron** el himno nacional.
B1When we arrived, they had already played the national anthem.
they imposed, they established
Also: they assigned, they named
📝 In Action
Los directores **pusieron** nuevas reglas de vestimenta en la oficina.
B1The directors imposed new dress code rules in the office.
Al bebé le **pusieron** el nombre de su abuelo.
B2They named the baby after his grandfather.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "pusieron" in Spanish:
they assigned→they broadcast→they established→they imposed→they named→they placed→they played→they put→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: pusieron
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'pusieron' in the sense of 'to establish a rule'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'poner' comes directly from the Latin verb *ponere*, which meant 'to place' or 'to set down.' Its irregular past tense forms, like 'pusieron,' stem from a different, older Latin root related to the perfect tense.
First recorded: Old Spanish (c. 10th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'pusieron' used for 'they got/became' (an emotional state)?
Not directly. To express 'they became' or 'they got' (e.g., sad, happy), you need the reflexive form, 'se pusieron.' For example: 'Se pusieron contentos' (They became happy).
Why is 'pusieron' so irregular?
The verb 'poner' is one of the most common irregular verbs because it borrows its past tense stem ('pus-') from a different, older Latin verb form. You just have to memorize that the 'u' sound appears in all the simple past (preterite) forms.