Pongo esos libros en la mesa.

I put those books on the table.

Breakdown of Pongo esos libros en la mesa.

• yo: I
• el libro: the book
• la mesa: the table
• en: on
• poner: to put
• esos: those

Questions & Answers about Pongo esos libros en la mesa.

What verb form is pongo, and what is the infinitive?

Pongo is the first-person singular (yo) present tense of poner (to put/place). It’s an irregular yo-go verb: pongo, pones, pone, ponemos, ponéis, ponen. Other key forms: preterite puse, past participle puesto.

Why is yo omitted?

Spanish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. Add yo only for emphasis or contrast: Yo pongo esos libros… (It’s me who puts them).

What’s the difference between pongo and estoy poniendo?

• Pongo: simple present; can be habitual or current depending on context.
• Estoy poniendo: action in progress right now. For a near-future plan you can also use the simple present or periphrasis: Ahora pongo los libros or Voy a poner los libros.

How do I replace esos libros with a pronoun?

Use the direct object pronoun los (masculine plural): Los pongo en la mesa. Placement:

• Before a conjugated verb: Los pongo…
• Attached to an infinitive/gerund: Voy a ponerlos… / Los voy a poner…; Estoy poniéndolos… / Los estoy poniendo… (note the accent in poniéndolos).

Why en la mesa and not sobre la mesa or encima de la mesa?

With poner, en is the most common and natural choice. En can mean on or in; here it means on/onto. Sobre and encima de also mean on top of and are fine if you want to be extra explicit.

Why not a la mesa?

A expresses direction to a place, not placing onto a surface. Say poner algo en la mesa. Use a la mesa in expressions like sentarse a la mesa (sit at the table) or llevar algo a la mesa (bring something to the table).

Why la mesa and not el mesa?

Mesa is a feminine noun, so it takes la. Agreement in the sentence:

• esos libros (masculine plural)
• la mesa (feminine singular)

Why esos libros and not estos or aquellos?

Demonstratives mark distance:

• estos: near the speaker (these)
• esos: near the listener or away from the speaker (those)
• aquellos: far from both (those over there) Choose based on physical or contextual distance.

Do demonstratives like esos ever take an accent (e.g., ésos)?

Modern standard spelling does not accent demonstratives. Write esos, estos, aquellos whether they modify a noun or stand alone. An accent is only recommended in rare ambiguity; most writers never use it.

Can I change the word order, like Pongo en la mesa esos libros?

Yes. That order emphasizes the location. The neutral/default is Pongo esos libros en la mesa. Avoid libros esos in neutral style; demonstratives normally precede the noun.

Is there any indirect object here? Do I need le/les?

No. Esos libros is the direct object; en la mesa is a locative phrase. You’d add an indirect object only if there’s a recipient: Les pongo los libros en la mesa (a mis amigos).

Can I use other verbs instead of poner?

Yes, depending on nuance:

• colocar: place/arrange carefully. Coloco esos libros en la mesa.
• dejar: leave behind. Dejo esos libros en la mesa.
• meter: put into. Meto esos libros en la caja. Also note the fixed phrase poner la mesa (to set the table).

How do I give the command “Put those books on the table”?

• Tú: Pon esos libros en la mesa.
• Vosotros (Spain): Poned esos libros en la mesa.
• Usted: Ponga esos libros en la mesa.
• Ustedes: Pongan esos libros en la mesa. With pronouns: Ponlos / Ponedlos en la mesa; negative: No los pongas / No los pongáis / No los ponga / No los pongan.

How do I say it in the past?

• Preterite (completed action): Puse esos libros en la mesa.
• Present perfect (very common in Spain for recent past): He puesto esos libros en la mesa.

Any pronunciation tips (Spain)?

• pongo: hard g; stress on PON.
• libros: soft b between vowels; stress on LI.
• mesa: clear s; stress on ME.
• en is a single nasal syllable. No [θ] sound here (no c/z before e/i).

Why isn’t there a personal a before esos libros?

The personal a marks specific human (or personified) direct objects: Veo a María. Inanimate objects like libros do not take it, so Pongo esos libros… is correct.

Can I front the object for emphasis?

Yes, and Spanish often doubles the pronoun when doing so: Los libros, los pongo en la mesa. This is natural in speech for emphasis or clarity.

What changes if the noun’s gender/number changes?

Everything agrees:

• Feminine plural: Pongo esas revistas en la mesa. / Las pongo en la mesa.
• Masculine singular: Pongo ese libro en la mesa. / Lo pongo en la mesa.
• Feminine singular: Pongo esa revista en la mesa. / La pongo en la mesa.