poner

Senses

1. 1.

   to put; to place

   to set or locate something in a position or location

2. 2.

   to put on; to wear

   to dress oneself in clothing or apply something to the body

3. 3.

   to turn on; to switch on

   to activate a device or appliance

4. 4.

   to set; to establish

   to determine or assign a condition, name, or requirement

Examples

• "Puse las llaves en la mesa."

  I put the keys on the table.

• "¿Me pones la televisión, por favor?"

  Will you turn on the TV for me, please?

• "Ella se pone un abrigo cuando hace frío."

  She puts on a coat when it's cold.

Usage

Poner is one of the most common Spanish verbs with multiple senses. The reflexive form (ponerse) often means "to put on" (clothing) or "to become" (with adjectives). Poner is highly irregular in conjugation, especially in the preterite (puse, pusiste) and present subjunctive (ponga, pongas).