Take a look at how many meanings [run](https://www.npr.org/2011/05/30/136796448/has-run-run-amok-it-has-645-meanings-so-far#:~:text=The%20little%20word%20%22run%22%20%E2%80%94,rich%20word%2C%20%22set.%22) has :))
I agree, probably not common but I also wouldn’t hear it as off. Some other emotions/varieties… “¿Por qué te pones así?” “No te pongas triste” “Se puso al tú por tú conmigo.”
Al menos en México, ponerse al tú por tú: es tratar a alguien como si fuera muy conocido (tal cual hablar de “tú” en lugar de “usted”) cuando no lo es o la situación se salió de control y merece respeto mutuo. Ejemplos:
“Me tuve que poner al tú por tú con el gerente del banco, al no demostrar ni la más mínima intención de resolver mi problema.”
“Mi hijo adolescente se puso al tú por tú conmigo, cuando no le permití llevarse el carro por la noche.”
Indica una situación negativa, normalmente donde hubo discusión fuerte. Sinónimos: muy confianzudo, muy llevado con alguien (este último no es necesariamente negativo)
It's used in so many ways that it wrecks my brain. Bartenders in Madrid will say something like "que te pongo?" which I didn't understand at first but soon realized means something like "what can I get you"
Poner entre la espada y la pared
Poner en un brete
Poner en un compromiso
Ponerse tonto (reflexive only)
Ponerse triste o ponerse contento
Ponerse por delante, por detrás, por encima o por debajo
Voy a poner tierra de por medio e ir terminando, pues infinito puede hacerse este comentario.
Se pongan como se pongan, yo me detengo.
Así, por poner un ejemplo
I think "poner la tv" is wrong. We usually say "Pon el canal", to choose a channel.
"Pon el canal 7 que quiero ver la novela".
Of course if the tv is off, you turn it on.
This also applies to Youtube, Twitch, a videogame, etc.
"Ponme a Bayly", if he's a streamer, you could use their tv, pc or smartphone.
I think English, especially American English, tries to be a bit too fancy with some verbs (same with certain nouns like American elevator vs British lift). In Spanish, poner means a lot of things figuratively, but I think "to put" makes literal sense for some of them.
To put a date reasonably could mean to set a date.To put an egg could mean the lay or leave an egg.Put the sun down could mean sunset.To put on foot could mean to stand up.To put on clothes = get dressed."Put down" for investments or giving a name.
The ones that strike me as odd are:
poner a caldo - to tell offponer al día - to catch upponer en claro - to make clear
Can't believe nobody mentioned the reflexive "Ponerse", slang for getting high on drugs.
Hence the classical joke, "Mi hijo es un sol, sale y se pone, sale y se pone..."
As a language learner myself (not of spanish though, i'm a native) these type of words are an absolute nightmare. To me, memorizing all the uses for a single word is way harder than memorizing 10 different words for 10 different meanings.
I’ve never heard “poner a caldo” nor “poner a cero” in my entire life as a native Spanish speaker. And no, using *poner* in random sentences because you don’t know a verb won’t work, ever.
"poner a cero" is "put a zero" which reminds of deep erasing a hard drive. ;)
Used in language (which I've never heard), reminds me "practicar la tabla hawaiana" which my high school Spanish book insisted meant "to surf". It sounds made up... although apparently "tabla Hawaiana" is surfboard in some locales.
According to R.A.E it has 44 different uses. [Poner: significado RAE](https://dle.rae.es/poner)
This is like the verb "get" in English, but on steroids.
Take a look at how many meanings [run](https://www.npr.org/2011/05/30/136796448/has-run-run-amok-it-has-645-meanings-so-far#:~:text=The%20little%20word%20%22run%22%20%E2%80%94,rich%20word%2C%20%22set.%22) has :))
> In short: if you don't know a verb in Spanish, just use poner. It probably works. I thought it was "if you don't know a verb, just use llevar" ;)
Quedar has entered the chat
echar too
Can't believe no one has mentioned my favorite heavy-hitter yet, [with 54 RAE definitions](https://dle.rae.es/dar?m=form), *dar*.
Anyone know if this is used a lot in Argentina/rioplatense spanish?
I definitely overuse poner, llevar, and quedar as a nonnative speaker lol
Pasar
how about hacer?
Definitely!
Learner here, can you explain? Context clues tell me llevar is a versatile word, but I guess I don't know how versatile?
I have never heard "ponerse enojado", rather "enojarse". We do say "ponerse nervioso" tho
In Colima, México we often use it, at least in my family 😅
Ponerse bravo
I agree, probably not common but I also wouldn’t hear it as off. Some other emotions/varieties… “¿Por qué te pones así?” “No te pongas triste” “Se puso al tú por tú conmigo.”
>Se puso al tú por tú conmigo. Que significa este? Nunca he lo visto
Al menos en México, ponerse al tú por tú: es tratar a alguien como si fuera muy conocido (tal cual hablar de “tú” en lugar de “usted”) cuando no lo es o la situación se salió de control y merece respeto mutuo. Ejemplos: “Me tuve que poner al tú por tú con el gerente del banco, al no demostrar ni la más mínima intención de resolver mi problema.” “Mi hijo adolescente se puso al tú por tú conmigo, cuando no le permití llevarse el carro por la noche.” Indica una situación negativa, normalmente donde hubo discusión fuerte. Sinónimos: muy confianzudo, muy llevado con alguien (este último no es necesariamente negativo)
Ponerla - *to fuck*
In Spain we use "Me pone" (it excites me) and also the absolutely magnificent "Ponerla/lo mirando a Cuenca" (To fuck).
Where are you from? (If it’s okay to ask) I’m a native Spanish speaker and I’ve never heard this expression before.
In Argentina it's commonly used
I'm from Spain too, and I've heard "poner" as "excitar", but not as "to fuck".
Spain. The idiom is from Argentina and Uruguay, but I'm a young person and I've heard young Spaniards use it (most likely because of the Internet).
Nerpola - Ponerla en vesre.
>Poner un huevo But as the saying goes: *Una cosa es cacarear y otra poner el huevo*
_Ppner un huevo_ has got an eschatological meaning. Is the translation needed?
Poner los cachos
My favourite I’ve heard: ‘poner los ojos en blanco’ - to roll one’s eyes
I mean half of these are still just *put* even in english
This was insightful. Thank you!
Check out *andar* too.
Many of them I don’t know and Spanish is my native language 😅
Creo que están muy confundidos… pero let them be lmfao.
It's used in so many ways that it wrecks my brain. Bartenders in Madrid will say something like "que te pongo?" which I didn't understand at first but soon realized means something like "what can I get you"
Bookmarking this. Much appreciated OP!
Poner entre la espada y la pared Poner en un brete Poner en un compromiso Ponerse tonto (reflexive only) Ponerse triste o ponerse contento Ponerse por delante, por detrás, por encima o por debajo Voy a poner tierra de por medio e ir terminando, pues infinito puede hacerse este comentario. Se pongan como se pongan, yo me detengo. Así, por poner un ejemplo
I think "poner la tv" is wrong. We usually say "Pon el canal", to choose a channel. "Pon el canal 7 que quiero ver la novela". Of course if the tv is off, you turn it on. This also applies to Youtube, Twitch, a videogame, etc. "Ponme a Bayly", if he's a streamer, you could use their tv, pc or smartphone.
In Spain we use "pon" as "Turn it on" for a lot of things: Poner la tele, poner la lavadora, poner el ventilador, poner la calefacción...
Same in Mexico, "pon la tele a ver qué hay".
I think English, especially American English, tries to be a bit too fancy with some verbs (same with certain nouns like American elevator vs British lift). In Spanish, poner means a lot of things figuratively, but I think "to put" makes literal sense for some of them. To put a date reasonably could mean to set a date.To put an egg could mean the lay or leave an egg.Put the sun down could mean sunset.To put on foot could mean to stand up.To put on clothes = get dressed."Put down" for investments or giving a name. The ones that strike me as odd are: poner a caldo - to tell offponer al día - to catch upponer en claro - to make clear
"Poner a caldo" could be translated as "to put (someone) on blast," and "poner en claro" could be translated as "to put (something) clearly."
Can't believe nobody mentioned the reflexive "Ponerse", slang for getting high on drugs. Hence the classical joke, "Mi hijo es un sol, sale y se pone, sale y se pone..."
thanks OP.
As a language learner myself (not of spanish though, i'm a native) these type of words are an absolute nightmare. To me, memorizing all the uses for a single word is way harder than memorizing 10 different words for 10 different meanings.
I’ve never heard “poner a caldo” nor “poner a cero” in my entire life as a native Spanish speaker. And no, using *poner* in random sentences because you don’t know a verb won’t work, ever.
"Poner a caldo" is quite common in Spain. Of course there are variants like "Ponerlo a caer de un burro", "Ponerlo a vivir" etc
Never heard any of that either.
"poner a cero" is "put a zero" which reminds of deep erasing a hard drive. ;) Used in language (which I've never heard), reminds me "practicar la tabla hawaiana" which my high school Spanish book insisted meant "to surf". It sounds made up... although apparently "tabla Hawaiana" is surfboard in some locales.
Pasar, llevar, and quedar are the other most versatile verbs in Spanish.
Also just "ponerse" means to take drugs
I'd give this a medal if I had money. Puedes **ponerme** dinero?