The Subjunctive Mood of Ponerse is used to express wishes, desires, or hypothetical situations, for example: Espero que te pongas el abrigo. (I hope you put on your coat.)

Ponerse is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugations do not follow the typical patterns of regular verbs. You’ll need to memorize its unique set of conjugations in each tense and mood.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Ponerse (to put on) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish):

Ponerse generally means “to put on” or “to become”, but has several different meanings in the Subjunctive Mood, some of which might surprise you.

To put on (clothes): for example, Que me ponga la chaqueta (That I put on the jacket).

To become (a state or condition): for example, Que no se ponga nervioso (That he doesn’t become nervous).

To start (doing something): for example, Que se pongan a estudiar (That they start studying).

To get (a certain way, often negative): for example, Que no se ponga pesado (That he doesn’t get annoying).

To begin (an activity): for example, Que se pongan a cocinar (That they begin cooking).

To place oneself (in a location): for example, Que se ponga al lado de la ventana (That he places himself next to the window).

To get (somewhere, colloquially): for example, Que se ponga las pilas (That he gets his act together, literally “that he gets the batteries”).

Examples

Examples of Ponerse in the Subjunctive Mood

Espero que te pongas el abrigo antes de salir. (I hope you put on your coat before going out.)

Me gustaría que nos pongamos en marcha temprano mañana. (I’d like us to get going early tomorrow.)

Es importante que se ponga protector solar cuando vaya a la playa. (It’s important that you put on sunscreen when going to the beach.)

Aunque llueva, espero que te pongas las botas y salgas a caminar. (Even if it rains, I hope you put on your boots and go for a walk.)

Para la fiesta, sería bueno que nos pongamos ropa elegante. (For the party, it would be good if we dressed up.)

Ojalá que se pongan de acuerdo y resuelvan el conflicto. (I hope they come to an agreement and resolve the conflict.)

Es necesario que me ponga al día con el trabajo atrasado. (It’s necessary that I catch up on the overdue work.)

Dudo que se pongan de moda esos pantalones tan anchos. (I doubt those baggy pants will become fashionable.)

El jefe sugirió que os pongáis de acuerdo sobre el nuevo proyecto. (The boss suggested that you all agree on the new project.)

Aunque no tengas ganas, es mejor que te pongas a estudiar para el examen. (Even if you don’t feel like it, it’s better that you start studying for the exam.)

Sería genial que se pongan las pilas y terminen el trabajo a tiempo. (It would be great if they got moving and finished the work on time.)

Temo que no se pongan de acuerdo sobre la custodia de los niños. (I’m afraid they won’t agree on the custody of the children.)

Ojalá que os pongáis de acuerdo sobre dónde ir de vacaciones. (I hope you all agree on where to go for vacation.)

Es una lástima que no se pongan de moda los sombreros elegantes. (It’s a shame that elegant hats don’t become fashionable.)

Aunque cueste, es importante que nos pongamos en forma para la competencia. (Even though it’s difficult, it’s important that we get in shape for the competition.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

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

Synonyms

The Subjunctive mood is also known as the Simple Subjunctive, Subjunctive Present, or Present Subjunctive Mood in English, and as Presente de Subjuntivo, Subjuntivo Presente, Presente del Modo Subjuntivo, or Tiempo Presente del Subjuntivo in Spanish.