Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Puse otro recordatorio en mi agenda para pasar por la ferretería. - I put another reminder in my planner to stop by the hardware store.

Puse = preterite (simple past) of poner. It marks a completed action at a definite point in the past: you set the reminder, done.
Ponía = imperfect. It’s used for ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past (e.g., “I used to put reminders…”).
He puesto = present perfect. In Spain it’s common for very recent past (“I’ve set…”). In Latin America, the preterite (puse) is used more often instead.

How do you conjugate poner in the preterite?

Irregular forms:

yo: puse
tú: pusiste
él/ella/usted: puso
nosotros: pusimos
ellos/ustedes: pusieron

Why is it en mi agenda and not a mi agenda?

With poner, the default preposition is en to mean “put something in/on” a place or container: poner algo en un calendario/una lista.
If you use verbs like agregar/añadir, you can say agregar/añadir algo a una agenda.

Does agenda mean “calendar,” like on my phone, or a meeting’s agenda?

In Spanish, agenda usually means a planner/diary or the calendar app where you keep appointments. For a meeting’s agenda (the list of topics), Spanish uses orden del día. So here mi agenda = my planner/calendar.

Why otro recordatorio and not otra?

Recordatorio is masculine, so it takes otro. Also, don’t say un otro; just otro already includes the idea of “another.”

What’s the difference between otro and otra vez?

otro modifies a noun: otro recordatorio = another reminder.
otra vez modifies the action: puse un recordatorio otra vez = I set a reminder again.

Why use pasar por instead of ir a?

Pasar por means “to stop by/swing by/drop by,” often briefly or on the way.
Ir a simply means “to go to.”
Here, the idea is a quick stop: pasar por la ferretería.

Could I say para ir a la ferretería instead of para pasar por la ferretería?

Yes, but it changes the nuance. Para ir a focuses on going there; para pasar por suggests a brief stop, likely as part of another route.

Why para and not por before pasar?

Para + infinitive expresses purpose: the reminder’s purpose is “to stop by.”
Por would indicate cause, exchange, route, etc., not purpose.

Why is it la ferretería and not just ferretería or una ferretería?

Spanish typically uses an article with places.

La ferretería = the hardware store (often “the one I usually go to”).
Una ferretería = any hardware store, not a specific one.

Are there regional alternatives to ferretería in Latin America?

Yes. In Mexico you may hear tlapalería (regional), but ferretería is widely understood across Latin America.

Can I say pasarse por la ferretería or pasar a comprar?

Pasarse por is common and colloquial: “to pop by.”
Pasar a + infinitive (e.g., pasar a comprar) is also common: “stop by to buy.”
All are fine; pasar por la ferretería is the most neutral.

Is poner the best verb for digital reminders? What about agregar, añadir, crear, programar, agendar?

All can work, with nuances:

Poner/crear un recordatorio = set/create a reminder (very common).
Programar un recordatorio = schedule it for a specific time.
Agregar/añadir un recordatorio (a la agenda) = add a reminder (to your agenda).
Agendar usually refers to scheduling appointments; some speakers use it for reminders, others prefer it for events.

Can I change the word order, like Puse en mi agenda otro recordatorio…?

Yes. Variations like Puse en mi agenda otro recordatorio para… or En mi agenda puse otro recordatorio para… are natural. Keep related phrases together for clarity.

Any pronunciation tips for agenda and ferretería?

agenda: the g before e sounds like Spanish j; many dialects make it an “h” sound: a-HEN-da.
ferretería: roll the rr; stress the accented -rí-: fe-rre-te-RÍ-a.

What’s the difference between recordatorio and recuerdo?

Recordatorio = a reminder (notification, note to self).
Recuerdo = a memory or a souvenir.

Do I need to say Yo puse?

No. Spanish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending (-e in puse) already shows the subject. You can add yo for emphasis or contrast.