Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Cuelgo mis camisas en ganchos porque no tengo suficiente espacio. - I hang my shirts on hangers because I don’t have enough space.

yo cuelgo
tú cuelgas
él/ella/usted cuelga
nosotros/nosotras colgamos (no stem change)
ustedes/ellos/ellas cuelgan Latin American Spanish uses ustedes for “you all.”

Why does colgar change to cuelgo? Is there a spelling rule?

Two things happen:

Stem change: colgar → cuelgo (o→ue) in most present-tense forms.
Spelling change before e in the preterite yo form to keep a hard g: colgué (not “colge”). The u preserves the hard g sound before e/i.

Is en ganchos the best way to say “on hangers” in Latin America?

It’s fine in many places, but terms vary by country:

Mexico, much of Central America, Venezuela, Caribbean Spanish: gancho (de ropa) is common for “hanger.”
Argentina and Uruguay: percha is most common.
Chile and parts of the Andes: percha or colgador (de ropa). To avoid ambiguity (since gancho can also mean “hook” or even “clothespin” in some areas), you can say ganchos para ropa, perchas, or colgadores de ropa.

Why en and not de after colgar?

Use depends on what you mean:

Placement “on”: Cuelgo la camisa en un gancho (“I hang the shirt on a hanger”).
State “from”: La camisa cuelga de un gancho (“The shirt is hanging from a hanger”). Both colgar algo en and colgar algo de are heard; with hangers, en is very common for the act of putting it on.

Could I say cuelgo mis camisas de ganchos?

It’s understandable and some speakers do say it, but with hangers most people prefer en ganchos for the action of placing clothes on them. De is more typical when describing something that is hanging from something (state), rather than the act of hanging it.

Do I need an article before ganchos? Why not en unos ganchos?

Spanish often omits the indefinite article in plural when speaking generally. En ganchos = “on hangers (in general).” Use en unos ganchos only if you mean “on some (particular) hangers.”

Why is ganchos plural? Can I use singular?

Plural matches the idea that several shirts are each on their own hanger. Use singular only if you truly mean one: Cuelgo mis camisas en un gancho would imply you’re putting multiple shirts on one hanger.

Is camisa the same as camiseta?

No. Camisa = a collared/button-up “shirt.” Camiseta = a T-shirt. So mis camisas specifically refers to dress shirts/button-downs.

Could I use poner or colocar instead of colgar?

You’ll be understood with poner/colocar, but colgar is the most natural verb when you put clothes on a hanger. Examples:

Natural: Cuelgo mis camisas en perchas.
Possible but less idiomatic: Pongo/Coloco mis camisas en perchas.

Why is porque written together? What about por qué, porqué, por que?

They’re different:

porque = because: No salgo porque llueve.
por qué = why (question): ¿Por qué no sales?
el porqué = the reason (a noun): No entiendo el porqué.
por que = “for which/that” in certain constructions: La razón por que vino... (more formal; often replaced by por la que).

Is suficiente espacio the only correct order? What about espacio suficiente or el espacio suficiente?

All are correct, with nuance:

suficiente espacio (very common with quantity adjectives) = “enough space,” general.
espacio suficiente = also fine; similar meaning.
el espacio suficiente = “the necessary space” (more specific/definite).

Why is espacio singular and not espacios?

When “space/room” is an uncountable quantity, Spanish uses the singular espacio. Plural espacios refers to distinct areas/slots.

Does suficiente agree in number and gender?

Yes. It agrees with the noun:

Singular: suficiente espacio
Plural: suficientes perchas/ganchos The form itself doesn’t change for gender: suficiente/suficientes.

Can I start the sentence with the reason clause?

Yes, but style varies:

Acceptable: Porque no tengo suficiente espacio, cuelgo mis camisas... (common in speech).
Often smoother when fronting: Como/Ya que no tengo suficiente espacio, cuelgo... When the reason comes first, add a comma.

Does cuelgo express a habit, or am I doing it right now?

Spanish present covers both habitual and general present meanings. For an action in progress, use the present progressive: Estoy colgando mis camisas en ganchos...

How would I avoid repeating mis camisas with a pronoun?

Use a direct object pronoun:

Las cuelgo en ganchos porque no tengo suficiente espacio. With an infinitive or gerund, both placements work: Voy a colgarlas / Las voy a colgar; Estoy colgándolas / Las estoy colgando (note the accent on -ándolas).

Any concise alternatives to “porque no tengo suficiente espacio”?

Yes:

por falta de espacio
ya que no tengo espacio suficiente
como no tengo suficiente espacio
me falta espacio

Does colgar have other meanings I should know?

Yes:

colgar el teléfono = to hang up the phone.
colgarse (reflexive) can mean “to hang oneself,” or informally “to crash/freeze” (computers/phones): Se colgó la compu. Don’t use the reflexive in your sentence.

Pronunciation tips for this sentence?

cuelgo: “KWEL-go” (ue is a diphthong; g before o is a hard g).
ganchos: hard g (“GAN-chos”).
porque: stress on the first syllable (“POR-ke”).