Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Pongo agua en la olla grande para cocinar pasta. - I put water in the big pot to cook pasta.

Echar: very common for pouring/adding casually: Echo agua en la olla.
Agregar / Añadir: “to add” (a bit more formal or recipe-like): Agrego agua a la olla.
Llenar: “to fill”: Lleno la olla de agua. (focus on filling it up)
Meter: “to put in” (more physical insertion): Meto agua en la olla sounds odd; use it for solid items: Meto la pasta en la olla.
Verter: “to pour” (formal/technical): Vierto agua en la olla.

What does pongo mean exactly and why not pondo?

Pongo is the irregular first-person present of poner (“to put/place”). The yo form adds a g: pongo. There is no form “pondo.”

Present progressive is also possible if you want “I’m putting”: Estoy poniendo agua…
Some other key forms: puse (I put, preterite), pondré (I will put), pondría (I would put).

Why is there no article before agua? Shouldn’t it be el agua?

No article is needed because you’re talking about an unspecified amount of a mass noun (water): Pongo agua… = “I put (some) water…”

Use the article when the water is specific or generic-in-general statements:
- Specific: Pongo el agua en la olla (the particular water you mentioned).
- General truths: El agua hierve a 100 °C.

Is agua feminine or masculine? I thought it was el agua.

Agua is feminine. It uses the article el in the singular to avoid the awkward sound of two a’s: el agua fría. Agreement stays feminine:

Adjectives/pronouns: el agua fría, esta agua, mucha agua, la pongo en la olla.
Plural: las aguas frías.
With an intervening adjective, you can use la: la fría agua (literary).

Why en la olla and not a la olla?

With poner, the usual pattern is “put something in/on something” = poner X en Y.

En la olla = in the pot (location/placement).
A la olla can appear with other verbs (e.g., echar agua a la olla) where a marks the destination/indirect target. With poner, stick to en.

Could I say dentro de la olla instead of en la olla?

Yes, dentro de la olla emphasizes “inside” and is a bit more explicit:

Pongo agua en la olla (standard).
Pongo agua dentro de la olla (adds “inside”). Both are correct.

Why is it la olla grande and not la grande olla?

Most descriptive adjectives come after the noun in Spanish: la olla grande. Putting grande before the noun usually changes the meaning (see next Q).

What’s the difference between la gran olla and la olla grande?

La gran olla: “the great/remarkable pot” (evaluative, not just size).
La olla grande: “the big pot” (size/physical dimension). For size, keep grande after the noun.

Does para cocinar mean “to cook” as a purpose? Could I use por?

Para + infinitive expresses purpose: para cocinar = “in order to cook.” Por cocinar would express cause/reason (“because of cooking”) and isn’t appropriate for purpose here.

What if the subject changes? Do I need para que + subjunctive?

Yes. If the doer of the second action is different:

Same subject: Pongo agua… para cocinar pasta.
Different subject: Pongo agua… para que tú cocines pasta. (subjunctive after para que)

Is cocinar the best verb for pasta? What about hervir and cocer?

All can be used, with nuance:

Cocinar pasta: general “cook pasta.”
Hervir: “to boil.” You boil the water: Pongo el agua a hervir; then hiervo la pasta (many say “cocinar la pasta” too).
Cocer: “to cook (often by boiling).” Many speakers say cocer la pasta. Note the irregular: cuezo, cueces. In much of Latin America, cocer and coser sound the same; context disambiguates.

Do I need the article with pasta? Why not la pasta?

No article is needed if you mean pasta in general/unspecified: cocinar pasta. Use the article when specific:

General: Voy a cocinar pasta.
Specific: Voy a cocinar la pasta (the pasta we already mentioned or have on the counter).

Can I attach a pronoun to cocinar to refer back to pasta?

Yes, for a specific pasta already mentioned:

Pongo agua… para cocinarla. (la = la pasta)
Without a prior specific reference, keep it generic: para cocinar pasta (no pronoun).

If I replace agua with a pronoun, which one do I use?

Use the feminine direct object pronoun la (because agua is feminine):

Specific water: ¿El agua? Sí, la pongo en la olla.
Note: when agua is indefinite/mass (no article), you usually wouldn’t replace it with a pronoun unless you’ve specified it.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move the phrases around?

You have flexibility as long as it’s clear:

Pongo agua en la olla grande para cocinar pasta. (natural)
Pongo agua para cocinar pasta en la olla grande. (also fine)
Para cocinar pasta, pongo agua en la olla grande. (emphasizes purpose) Keep related chunks together to avoid confusion.

Is there a more idiomatic way to say “I put water on to boil”?

Yes:

Pongo el agua a hervir.
Pongo a hervir el agua. Both are common and sound very natural when your goal is specifically to boil the water.

Any regional synonyms for pot I should know?

Yes, depending on the country:

Olla (general “pot” everywhere).
Cacerola / cazuela (saucepan/casserole-type pot).
Paila (Andean regions; a wide, shallow pan/pot).
Olla exprés / olla a presión (pressure cooker).