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Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.

Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.
I put the banana in the blender.

Breakdown of Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.

yo
I
en
in
poner
to put
la licuadora
the blender
el plátano
the banana
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Questions & Answers about Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.

What does pongo mean grammatically? What tense and person is it?

Pongo is the first person singular (yo) form of the verb poner in the present indicative.

  • Infinitive: poner – to put, to place
  • Yo form (present): yo pongo – I put / I am putting

Other present tense forms for context:

  • yo pongo – I put
  • tú pones – you put (informal)
  • él/ella/usted pone – he/she/you (formal) put
  • nosotros ponemos – we put
  • ustedes ponen – you (plural) put
  • ellos/ellas ponen – they put
Why doesn’t the sentence use yo? Why is it Pongo el plátano... and not Yo pongo el plátano...?

In Spanish, the subject pronoun (yo, tú, él, etc.) is often dropped because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

  • Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.
    = Yo pongo el plátano en la licuadora.

Both are correct. You usually:

  • Omit the pronoun (yo) in neutral, normal contexts.

  • Include it for emphasis or contrast:

    • Yo pongo el plátano, tú pones la leche.
      I put the banana, you put the milk.
Why is it el plátano and not just plátano without el?

Spanish usually uses a definite article (el, la, los, las) more often than English uses “the”, even in general or habitual statements.

  • Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.
    Literally: I put *the banana in the blender.*

In English, we might say “I put banana in the blender” when speaking generally, but in Spanish saying just Pongo plátano en la licuadora sounds incomplete or unnatural; it suggests “I put (some) banana in the blender,” and would usually need more context.

You can omit the article only in certain patterns (like lists, quantities, or with un/una):

  • Pongo plátano, leche y hielo en la licuadora.
    I put banana, milk, and ice in the blender.
What’s the difference between plátano, banana, and banano in Latin America?

Usage varies by country, but in everyday Latin American Spanish:

  • Plátano
    • In many countries, can mean banana (the sweet fruit you eat raw).
    • In several places (e.g., parts of the Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela), plátano can also mean plantain (the starchier one you often fry or cook).
  • Banana / banano
    • Common synonyms for the sweet banana in many countries.
    • Some regions prefer banana, others banano.

So in some places:

  • plátano ≈ banana
    In others:

  • plátano = plantain
  • banana / banano = banana

If you’re unsure and need to be precise, you can say:

  • plátano macho – plantain
  • banana or banano – banana
Could I also say Yo pongo la banana en la licuadora?

Yes, that sentence is grammatically correct and natural in many Latin American countries:

  • Yo pongo la banana en la licuadora.

Differences:

  • Yo: optional; it adds emphasis.
  • banana vs plátano: depends on the country. In some places banana is more common; in others plátano is the usual word for the fruit.
  • la banana vs el plátano: both use the definite article because we’re talking about a specific fruit in this sentence.
Why is the preposition en used? Could it be a or something else?

En is the normal preposition to express in / into / on when you’re putting something inside or onto something:

  • Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.
    I put the banana in the blender.

You would not say pongo el plátano a la licuadora. That sounds wrong.

Alternatives:

  • Pongo el plátano dentro de la licuadora. – I put the banana inside the blender. (more explicit)
  • Met(o) el plátano en la licuadora. – I put / stick / shove the banana in the blender. (using meter, another common verb)

But the basic, neutral preposition here is en.

What does licuadora mean exactly, and are there regional differences?

Licuadora is the standard Latin American word for an electric blender.

  • Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.
    I put the banana in the blender.

Regional note:

  • In Spain, people usually say batidora or batidora de vaso.
  • In most of Latin America, licuadora is the normal word.

So if you’re learning Latin American Spanish, licuadora is the right term.

What’s the difference between pongo and estoy poniendo here?

Both refer to present time, but they’re used differently:

  • Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.

    • Present simple.
    • Can mean a habit: I put the banana in the blender (every day / usually).
    • Can also describe what you’re doing right now, especially if context makes it clear.

  • Estoy poniendo el plátano en la licuadora.

    • Present progressive (continuous).
    • Focuses on an action in progress right now: I am putting the banana in the blender (at this moment).

Both are grammatically correct. In Spanish, the simple present is more common than the progressive for describing current actions, compared to English.

How do I make this sentence negative?

You simply add no before the verb:

  • No pongo el plátano en la licuadora.
    I don’t put the banana in the blender.

Basic rule:
no + verb (+ rest of sentence)

  • No pongo el plátano en la licuadora, lo pongo en el tazón.
    I don’t put the banana in the blender, I put it in the bowl.
How do I replace el plátano with a pronoun?

El plátano is a masculine singular direct object, so you use the direct object pronoun lo:

  • Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.
    → Lo pongo en la licuadora.
    I put it in the blender.

Word order: pronoun + verb (in simple sentences).

More examples with poner:

  • Pongo el libro en la mesa. → Lo pongo en la mesa.
  • Pongo la leche en la licuadora. → La pongo en la licuadora. (feminine: leche → la)
Why is it la licuadora and not una licuadora?

Both are possible, but they mean slightly different things:

  • Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.

    • la = the
    • We’re referring to a specific blender (probably the one you normally use).

  • Pongo el plátano en una licuadora.

    • una = a
    • Refers to any blender, not a specific one, or one mentioned for the first time in the conversation.

In everyday speech, la licuadora is very common because usually there’s one particular blender in mind.

Is the word order fixed, or can I move parts of the sentence around?

Basic neutral order is:

  • [Subject] + [Verb] + [Direct object] + [Place]
  • (Yo) pongo el plátano en la licuadora.

You can move elements around for emphasis or style, but some changes sound more natural than others:

  • En la licuadora pongo el plátano. (emphasis on in the blender)
  • El plátano lo pongo en la licuadora. (emphasis on the banana as opposed to something else)

However, you cannot freely separate the verb and its object too much in simple sentences, and you must keep prepositions with their objects:

  • ❌ Pongo en la licuadora el. plátano → incorrect (punctuation/spacing and odd order)
  • ✅ Pongo el plátano en la licuadora.
How would I talk about a habit using this sentence?

The same present simple form expresses habits in Spanish:

  • Todas las mañanas pongo el plátano en la licuadora.
    Every morning I put the banana in the blender.

You don’t need a special tense; you just add a time expression:

  • Siempre pongo el plátano en la licuadora. – I always put the banana in the blender.
  • A veces pongo el plátano en la licuadora. – Sometimes I put the banana in the blender.