The preterite of ponerse is used to express that someone put something on or became something at a specific moment in the past, for example Me puse el abrigo antes de salir (I put on my coat before leaving). This reflexive verb emphasizes the completed action at a particular moment.

This is an irregular verb that follows the same pattern as ‘poner’ in the preterite, with the addition of reflexive pronouns. Remember to match the reflexive pronoun with the subject of the verb.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Ponerse (to put on/become) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of ponerse describes a completed action of putting on or becoming in the past.

To put on (clothing): Describes putting on an item of clothing or accessory, for example Me puse el abrigo antes de salir (I put on my coat before going out) or Se puso los zapatos nuevos (He/she put on new shoes).

To become/get: Used for changes in state or condition, for example Se puso enfermo (He/she got sick) or Me puse nervioso durante la presentación (I got nervous during the presentation).

Examples

Examples of Ponerse in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Me puse el abrigo nuevo. (I put on the new coat.)

Te pusiste nervioso antes del examen. (You became nervous before the exam.)

Se puso el vestido rojo. (She put on the red dress.)

Nos pusimos a trabajar inmediatamente. (We got to work immediately.)

Se pusieron contentos con la noticia. (They became happy with the news.)

Me puse enfermo después de la cena. (I became sick after dinner.)

Te pusiste la chaqueta al revés. (You put on the jacket inside out.)

Se puso pálido al ver el accidente. (He became pale when seeing the accident.)

Nos pusimos los zapatos nuevos. (We put on the new shoes.)

Se pusieron a llorar de alegría. (They began crying with joy.)

Me puse los guantes para cocinar. (I put on gloves to cook.)

Te pusiste furioso por el error. (You became furious about the mistake.)

Se puso el sombrero elegante. (She put on the elegant hat.)

Nos pusimos de acuerdo rápidamente. (We quickly came to an agreement.)

Se pusieron las máscaras para la fiesta. (They put on masks for the party.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Ponerse (to put on/become) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.