Pongo un cronómetro para no pasarme de una hora cuando juego al videojuego.

I set a stopwatch so I don’t go over an hour when I play the video game.

Breakdown of Pongo un cronómetro para no pasarme de una hora cuando juego al videojuego.

• yo: I
• un: a
• para: to
• cuando: when
• jugar: to play
• la hora: the hour
• no: not
• poner: to set
• a: at
• de: by
• una: one
• el videojuego: the video game
• el cronómetro: the stopwatch
• pasarse: to go over

Questions & Answers about Pongo un cronómetro para no pasarme de una hora cuando juego al videojuego.

Why is there no yo before pongo?

In Spanish you normally omit the subject pronoun when the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• pongo can only be yo (I put/set), so yo is not needed.
• Saying Yo pongo un cronómetro… is not wrong, but it usually sounds marked: you’d say it if you want to emphasize I, as opposed to someone else.

Why is the verb poner used here? Could it also be colocar or activar?

Poner is a very common, flexible verb that often means things like:

• to set (a device) → poner un cronómetro / poner una alarma
• to put on / switch on → poner la tele, poner la lavadora

In this sentence, Pongo un cronómetro means I set a timer / I start a stopwatch.

• Colocar is more physical: to place something somewhere (e.g. Coloco el libro en la mesa). It doesn’t sound natural for starting a timer.
• Activar is possible in some contexts (activate a function), but for everyday speech about timers/clocks, poner is the normal verb in Spain.

Why is it un cronómetro and not el cronómetro?

Using un (indefinite article) presents it as a timer, not the timer:

• Pongo un cronómetro… = I set a timer (some timer, not a specific unique one).
• Pongo el cronómetro… would sound like there is a specific known timer everyone already has in mind (e.g. “the usual timer we always talk about”).

Since this is a general habit (every time I play, I set a timer), un cronómetro is the natural choice.

What exactly does cronómetro mean here? Is this the normal word for “timer” in Spain?

Literally, cronómetro is a stopwatch (something that counts time up from zero).

In everyday speech, especially about phones or apps, many people still say cronómetro even when the function is technically a countdown timer.

Other options you may hear in Spain:

• temporizador – more precise word for a countdown timer.
• alarma – when it rings at a set clock time (e.g. 8:00).

So, strictly:

• Stopwatch: cronómetro
• Countdown timer: temporizador

But in casual language, using cronómetro for any timer is common and totally understandable.

Why is it para no pasarme de una hora instead of para que no pase de una hora?

Both patterns are common, but they’re used in different situations:

• para + infinitive is used when the subject is the same in both actions.

  • Pongo un cronómetro para no pasarme de una hora.
    → I set a timer so that I don’t go over an hour. (Same subject: yo)

• para que + subjunctive is used when the subject is different, or when you want a more explicit purpose clause:

  • Pongo un cronómetro para que no se me pase de una hora.
    → I set a timer so that it doesn’t go over an hour. (The implicit subject is the game session / the time, not yo.)

In your sentence, the person doing both actions (setting the timer and not going over an hour) is the same, so para no pasarme (infinitive) is the natural structure.

What does pasarme de mean here, and why is there me?

The expression pasarse de + límite means to go beyond / exceed a limit, often in a slightly informal or colloquial tone.

• pasarse de una hora → to go over an hour
• pasarse de la raya → to go too far / cross the line

The me is the first-person reflexive pronoun: pasarSE. It doesn’t add strong meaning beyond marking the pronominal verb; it just forms a fixed expression: pasarse de [algo].

So no pasarme de una hora = not to go over an hour.

Could you say para no pasar de una hora without me? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

• para no pasarme de una hora
• para no pasar de una hora

Both are used and understood. The version with me (pasarme) sounds more colloquial and personal, like for me not to go over an hour in a “myself” sense.

The version sin me (no pasar de una hora) sounds a bit more neutral, slightly less colloquial. In everyday speech in Spain, no pasarme de una hora is very natural.

Why is it de una hora and not something like a una hora?

With pasarse in the sense of exceeding a limit, Spanish uses the preposition de:

• pasarse de una hora – go over an hour
• pasarse de la velocidad permitida – exceed the speed limit

A would not be correct here; pasarse a una hora would suggest changing to a time, not going beyond it.

Related patterns:

• más de una hora – more than an hour
• no más de una hora – no more than an hour

So no pasarme de una hora is the standard way to say not to go over an hour.

Why is it cuando juego (indicative) and not cuando juegue (subjunctive)?

In time clauses with cuando, Spanish uses:

• Indicative for things that are general, habitual, or already known/real.

  • Cuando juego al videojuego, pongo un cronómetro.
    → Whenever I play the video game, I set a timer. (habit)

• Subjunctive for future, not-yet-real actions in many contexts:

  • Cuando juegue esta tarde, pondré un cronómetro.
    → When I play this afternoon, I’ll set a timer.

Your sentence talks about a habitual action, not a specific future occasion, so cuando juego (present indicative) is correct.

Why is it juego al videojuego with al? Why not juego el videojuego or just juego videojuego?

With games and sports, Spanish normally uses jugar a + [game/sport]:

• jugar al fútbol – to play football
• jugar al ajedrez – to play chess
• jugar a un videojuego – to play a video game

When a is followed by el, they contract to al:

• a + el = al → jugar al videojuego

So:

• juego al videojuego is correct.
• juego el videojuego (without a) sounds wrong in standard Spanish.
• juego videojuego (without article) is also incorrect here.

You might also hear:

• juego a videojuegos – I play video games (in general).

Does al videojuego refer to one specific game, or video games in general? How would you say it for “video games” in general?

al videojuego (singular, with el) normally implies one specific game that has already been mentioned or is clear from context:

• cuando juego al videojuego → when I play that game (the one we’re talking about)

If you mean video games in general, more natural options are:

• cuando juego a videojuegos – when I play video games
• cuando juego a la consola – when I play on the console (very common in Spain)
• cuando juego al ordenador – when I play on the computer (Spain)

So your sentence, as written, suggests a particular game the speaker tends to play.

Can I change the word order? For example, Cuando juego al videojuego, pongo un cronómetro para no pasarme de una hora?

Yes, that word order is perfectly natural:

• Cuando juego al videojuego, pongo un cronómetro para no pasarme de una hora.

Spanish is quite flexible with placing time clauses (cuando…) at the beginning or end. The meaning doesn’t change; it’s just a stylistic choice:

• Pongo un cronómetro… cuando juego al videojuego.
• Cuando juego al videojuego, pongo un cronómetro…

Both are correct and normal.

Are there other very natural ways to say this in Spain?

Yes, here are some very natural alternatives you would hear in Spain:

• Pongo un temporizador para no pasarme de una hora cuando juego a la consola.
• Pongo un cronómetro para no estar más de una hora jugando.
• Me pongo un temporizador de una hora cuando juego a videojuegos.
• Pongo una alarma para no pasarme de una hora cuando estoy jugando.

They all keep the same basic idea but change the vocabulary (cronómetro / temporizador / alarma) or the wording of the time limit.