Cuelgo el cartel en la pared de la sala.

I hang the poster on the wall of the living room.

Breakdown of Cuelgo el cartel en la pared de la sala.

• yo: I
• en: on
• de: of
• la sala: the living room
• colgar: to hang
• la pared: the wall
• el cartel: the sign

Questions & Answers about Cuelgo el cartel en la pared de la sala.

Why is it cuelgo and not colgar or cuelga?

Colgar is the infinitive form (to hang).
In the sentence, we need a verb that matches the subject I (first person singular, present tense).

• Infinitive: colgar = to hang
• Yo (I): cuelgo
• Él/Ella/Usted (he/she/you formal): cuelga

So cuelgo means I hang.
Cuelga would mean he/she hangs or you (formal) hang, which wouldn’t match "I hang the poster".

What kind of verb is colgar? Why does it change from o to ue?

Colgar is a stem‑changing verb (also called a "boot verb") in the present tense.

The stem colg- changes its vowel o → ue in most forms:

• Yo: cuelgo
• Tú: cuelgas
• Él/Ella/Usted: cuelga
• Nosotros: colgamos (no change)
• Vosotros: colgáis (mainly Spain; no change)
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: cuelgan

So you don’t say colgo, you say cuelgo.
The nosotros (and vosotros) forms keep the original o.

Why don’t we say Yo cuelgo el cartel…? Is leaving out yo normal?

Leaving out yo is completely normal and very common in Spanish.

Spanish verb endings already show who the subject is:

• cuelgo can only be I hang

You only add yo for emphasis or contrast:

• Yo cuelgo el cartel, tú cuelgas el cuadro.
  I hang the poster, you hang the painting.

In a neutral sentence, Cuelgo el cartel en la pared de la sala is more natural than Yo cuelgo….

Why is it el cartel and not un cartel?

El cartel = the poster / the sign (a specific one).
Un cartel = a poster / a sign (not specified, any one).

We use el when:

• Speaker and listener know which poster is being talked about, or
• It has already been mentioned, or
• It’s clear from context (for example, there is only one relevant poster here).

If you just want to say I hang a poster on the wall in the living room, you could say:

• Cuelgo un cartel en la pared de la sala.

So el vs un is about specificity, just like the vs a in English.

What exactly does cartel mean here? Is it the same as póster or letrero?

In this sentence, cartel is usually understood as poster or sign.

Common related words:

• cartel – can be poster, sign, notice. In other contexts it can also mean cartel (criminal organization), but context makes the meaning clear.
• póster – specifically a poster (often decorative, like a movie or band poster).
• letrero – a sign with writing on it, often outside a shop or business.
• aviso – notice, warning, or announcement (often written).

So Cuelgo el cartel… could be hanging a poster, a sign, a notice, depending on the situation. If you specifically mean a decorative poster, póster is very common in Latin America:

• Cuelgo el póster en la pared de la sala.

Why is en used for on the wall? Doesn’t en mean in?

En is very flexible in Spanish. It often translates as:

• in
• on
• at

Some examples:

• en la mesa = on the table
• en la pared = on the wall
• en la caja = in the box
• en la escuela = at school

So en la pared here is on the wall. Spanish doesn’t need a different basic preposition for on; en covers that meaning.

Could we say sobre la pared instead of en la pared?

You can say sobre la pared, but it’s less common and can sound a bit more formal or specific.

Nuance:

• en la pared – the usual way to say on the wall.
• sobre la pared – literally over/above/on top of the wall, sometimes used but not necessary.

For hanging posters and pictures, en la pared is the natural everyday choice:

• Cuelgo el cuadro en la pared. ✅ (very common)
• Cuelgo el cuadro sobre la pared. ✅ (possible, but less usual)

Why is it pared de la sala and not pared en la sala?

Both can exist, but they’re not exactly the same:

• la pared de la sala
  Literally the wall of the living room. It identifies which wall (it belongs to / is part of the living room).

• la pared en la sala
  Literally the wall in the living room. This sounds like there is a wall located in the living room, as if you were describing separate objects; it’s less natural when talking about the room’s own walls.

For parts of a place, de is very common:

• el techo de la sala – the living room’s ceiling
• la puerta de la casa – the house’s door

So pared de la sala is the idiomatic choice.

Does sala always mean living room in Latin America?

Sala often means living room, especially in everyday speech:

• Estoy en la sala. = I’m in the living room.

But it can also mean room/hall in other contexts:

• sala de espera – waiting room
• sala de emergencias – emergency room
• sala de conferencias – conference room
• sala de cine – theater auditorium

In a house context, la sala is usually understood as the living room.
Many people also say sala de estar or sala de TV, but just sala is very common.

Can I change the word order to Cuelgo en la pared de la sala el cartel?

Yes, that word order is grammatically correct, but it sounds marked or slightly unusual in neutral speech.

Typical, most natural order:

• Cuelgo el cartel en la pared de la sala.

Other possible orders (used for emphasis or style):

• En la pared de la sala cuelgo el cartel. (emphasis on the location)
• El cartel lo cuelgo en la pared de la sala. (emphasis on el cartel)

Spanish word order is flexible, but the original sentence is the standard, neutral one.

Could we use pongo instead of cuelgo? Like Pongo el cartel en la pared?

You can say Pongo el cartel en la pared, and people will understand you, but there is a nuance:

• colgar – specifically to hang something (with a hook, nail, tape, etc.), so it is suspended.
• poner – more general to put/place something somewhere (on a table, on a shelf, on a wall, etc.).

For a poster, picture, calendar, etc., colgar is the most precise verb:

• Cuelgo el cuadro en la pared. = I hang the painting on the wall. ✅ (most precise)
• Pongo el cuadro en la pared. = I put/place the painting on the wall. ✅ (understandable, but less specific)

If you stick it with tape or glue, some people might also say pegar (to stick):

• Pego el cartel en la pared. = I stick the poster on the wall.

Why don’t we use a before el cartel, like Cuelgo a el cartel?

The preposition a before a direct object (the personal a) is generally used with people (and sometimes pets), not with things.

Examples:

• Veo a María. – I see María.
• Ayudo a mi hermano. – I help my brother.

But with objects:

• Veo el cartel. – I see the poster.
• Cuelgo el cartel. – I hang the poster.

So Cuelgo a el cartel is wrong. It must be:

• Cuelgo el cartel… ✅

Is colgar used for other meanings too, like to hang up the phone?

Yes, colgar has several common meanings, and context tells you which one is intended.

Some of the most common:

• To hang an object:
  Cuelgo el cartel en la pared.
• To hang up the phone (especially in many Latin American countries):
  Cuelga el teléfono. – Hang up the phone.
• In some contexts, colgarse (reflexive) can mean to hang oneself, or figuratively to freeze/crash (for computers/phones):
  La computadora se colgó. – The computer froze/crashed.

In your sentence, with el cartel en la pared, the only natural meaning is to hang (a poster). Context removes any ambiguity.