The Imperfect Tense of Ponerse is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Me ponía nervioso antes de los exámenes. (I used to get nervous before exams.)

Ponerse is a regular -er verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the regular pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Ponerse (to put on) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of ponerse is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.

To put on (clothes): Por ejemplo, me ponía la chaqueta antes de salir. (I would put on my jacket before going out.)

To start (doing something): Por ejemplo, se ponía a estudiar todas las noches. (He would start studying every night.)

To become (a state or condition): Por ejemplo, el cielo se ponía gris cuando iba a llover. (The sky would become gray when it was going to rain.)

To get (emotional state): Por ejemplo, se ponía nervioso antes de los exámenes. (He would get nervous before exams.)

Colloquial usage: Ponerse las pilas (to get one’s act together), ponerse chango (to get drunk), ponerse intenso (to get intense or heated).

Examples

Examples of Ponerse in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, me ponía muy nervioso antes de los exámenes. (When I was a child, I would get very nervous before exams.)

Ella se ponía furiosa cada vez que su hermano llegaba tarde. (She would get furious every time her brother was late.)

En la fiesta, todos se ponían a bailar cuando sonaba esa canción. (At the party, everyone would start dancing when that song played.)

Antes de salir, me ponía un poco de perfume. (Before going out, I would put on a little perfume.)

Cuando se ponía el sol, regresábamos a casa. (When the sun would set, we would return home.)

Mis abuelos se ponían muy contentos cuando los visitábamos. (My grandparents would get very happy when we visited them.)

En el trabajo, me ponía muy estresado cuando había demasiadas tareas. (At work, I would get very stressed when there were too many tasks.)

Ella se ponía ropa cómoda para hacer ejercicio. (She would put on comfortable clothes to exercise.)

Cuando se ponía de moda una nueva tendencia, todos querían seguirla. (When a new trend became fashionable, everyone wanted to follow it.)

Mis amigos y yo nos poníamos muy emocionados antes de un viaje. (My friends and I would get very excited before a trip.)

Cada vez que se ponía a llover, buscábamos refugio. (Whenever it would start raining, we would seek shelter.)

En las reuniones familiares, me ponía nostálgico al recordar viejos tiempos. (At family gatherings, I would get nostalgic remembering old times.)

Cuando se ponía el sol, los niños se ponían inquietos para ir a jugar afuera. (When the sun would set, the children would get restless to go play outside.)

Antes de una cita importante, me ponía muy nervioso y practicaba lo que iba a decir. (Before an important date, I would get very nervous and practice what I was going to say.)

Cada vez que se ponía a llover, mi abuela se ponía a tejer para pasar el rato. (Whenever it would start raining, my grandmother would start knitting to pass the time.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Ponerse (to put on) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.