The Subjunctive Mood of Ponerse is used to express wishes, desires, or uncertainty about an action or state, for example: Espero que te pongas el abrigo. (I hope you put on the coat.)

Ponerse is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugation follows a unique pattern that must be memorized.

Conjugations

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

The present subjunctive of ponerse is used to express wishes, desires, demands, or uncertainty about an action or state.

To put on (clothes): Por ejemplo, espero que te pongas el abrigo. (I hope you put on the coat.)

To begin or start: Por ejemplo, ojalá que no se ponga a llover. (I hope it doesn’t start raining.)

To become (a state or condition): Por ejemplo, no quiero que se ponga enfermo. (I don’t want him to get sick.)

To place oneself (in a location): Por ejemplo, es mejor que te pongas cerca de la ventana. (It’s better if you place yourself near the window.)

To get (a color): Por ejemplo, me da miedo que se ponga rojo de la ira. (I’m afraid he’ll get red with anger.)

To set (the sun): Por ejemplo, espero que no se ponga el sol antes de llegar. (I hope the sun doesn’t set before we arrive.)

To put on weight (informal): Por ejemplo, no quiero que te pongas gordo. (I don’t want you to put on weight.)

Examples

Examples of Ponerse in the Subjunctive Mood

Espero que mi hijo se ponga la chaqueta antes de salir. (I hope my son puts on his jacket before going out.)

Es importante que te pongas bloqueador solar cuando vayas a la playa. (It’s important that you put on sunscreen when you go to the beach.)

Aunque no tengo frío, preferiría que te pongas un suéter por si refresca más tarde. (Even though I’m not cold, I’d prefer you put on a sweater in case it gets cooler later.)

Ojalá que se ponga las pilas y termine el proyecto a tiempo. (I hope he really gets going and finishes the project on time.)

Para la entrevista, es esencial que te pongas ropa formal. (For the interview, it’s essential that you dress formally.)

Me temo que si no se pone las pilas, va a perder su trabajo. (I’m afraid that if he doesn’t get his act together, he’s going to lose his job.)

Dudo que mi hermano se ponga a estudiar a menos que lo amenacen. (I doubt my brother will start studying unless he’s threatened.)

Tal vez sería bueno que te pongas en el lugar de los demás de vez en cuando. (Maybe it would be good for you to put yourself in others’ shoes once in a while.)

Sería genial que te pongas creativo y decores la sala tú mismo. (It would be great if you got creative and decorated the living room yourself.)

Ojalá que tu hermana se ponga las pilas y deje de procrastinar tanto. (I hope your sister really gets her act together and stops procrastinating so much.)

Sería ideal que te pongas en forma antes de las vacaciones en la playa. (It would be ideal for you to get in shape before the beach vacation.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.