Pongo la maleta en la mesa.

I put the suitcase on the table.

Breakdown of Pongo la maleta en la mesa.

• yo: I
• en: on
• la mesa: the table
• la maleta: the suitcase

Questions & Answers about Pongo la maleta en la mesa.

Why is la maleta used instead of una maleta?

We use la maleta because it refers to a specific suitcase. In Spanish, la is the definite article (meaning the), so it tells us we’re talking about a particular suitcase that both the speaker and listener presumably already know about. If it were una maleta, that would suggest a suitcase that might not be specifically identified.

How do I know to use pongo instead of pones or ponemos?

In Spanish, the verb poner changes depending on the subject. Pongo is the yo (I) form, pones is the tú (you) form, and ponemos is the nosotros (we) form. Since the sentence is from the perspective of I (first person singular), it uses pongo.

Is there a difference between en la mesa and sobre la mesa?

Yes. En generally translates to in/on/at, while sobre specifically means on top of. In many situations, en la mesa is interpreted as placing something on the table anyway, so en la mesa and sobre la mesa can often be used interchangeably. However, sobre la mesa more explicitly conveys that it is on top of the surface.

Why do we say la mesa instead of el mesa?