Me pongo el delantal antes de empezar a cocinar.

Because ponerse means to put on in the sense of putting something on yourself.

• poner = to put, to place
• ponerse = to put on oneself

So:

• Pongo el libro en la mesa = I put the book on the table
• Me pongo el delantal = I put on the apron

The me is the reflexive pronoun, showing that the action comes back to the subject.

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed.

In me pongo, the verb form pongo already tells you the subject is I. So yo is unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.

• Me pongo el delantal... = normal, natural
• Yo me pongo el delantal... = more emphatic, like I put on the apron

Omitting yo is very common and sounds more natural in everyday Spanish.

Pongo is the present indicative, first person singular, of poner.

The full present tense is:

• yo pongo
• tú pones
• él/ella/usted pone
• nosotros/nosotras ponemos
• vosotros/vosotras ponéis
• ellos/ellas/ustedes ponen

A useful thing to notice: poner is irregular only in the yo form here:

• yo pongo
• not yo pono

This -go pattern also appears in verbs like hacer → hago and salir → salgo.

Spanish often uses the definite article (el, la, los, las) with clothing, body parts, and personal items when it is already obvious whose item it is.

So Spanish commonly says:

• Me pongo el abrigo = I put on my coat
• Me lavo las manos = I wash my hands
• Me quito los zapatos = I take off my shoes

In English, you usually use my, but in Spanish the ownership is often understood from the context or from the reflexive pronoun.

You can say mi delantal if you really want to emphasize that it is yours, but el delantal is the more natural default here.

It normally refers to the action of putting it on, not the state of already wearing it.

So:

• Me pongo el delantal = I put on the apron
• Llevo el delantal or Tengo puesto el delantal = I am wearing the apron

That said, in some contexts ponerse can feel a bit broader, but its basic meaning is the action of putting something on.

Because antes is followed by de when the next word is a noun or an infinitive.

So you say:

• antes de comer
• antes de salir
• antes de empezar

Not:

• antes comer
• antes salir
• antes empezar

This is a fixed structure:

antes de + infinitive = before doing something

Because empezar is commonly followed by a + infinitive when you say to start doing something.

So:

• empezar a cocinar = to start cooking
• empezar a trabajar = to start working
• empezar a estudiar = to start studying

This is just the normal pattern of the verb empezar.

You may also hear comenzar a + infinitive, which works the same way.

Yes, absolutely.

Both are natural, but there is a small difference in nuance:

• antes de cocinar = before cooking
• antes de empezar a cocinar = before starting to cook

The version with empezar emphasizes the beginning of the action. The shorter version is more general.

In many everyday situations, either one would work.

In this sentence, the verb is conjugated: me pongo. With a conjugated verb, the reflexive pronoun normally goes before the verb.

• Me pongo el delantal
• Te pones el abrigo
• Se pone los guantes

But with an infinitive or gerund, the pronoun can attach to the end:

• Voy a ponerme el delantal
• Estoy poniéndome el delantal

So in your sentence, me pongo is correct because pongo is a conjugated verb.

Yes. In Spain, delantal is the standard and very common word for apron.

A learner might also come across mandil in some parts of Latin America, but in Spain delantal is the normal choice.

So for Spanish from Spain, this word is completely natural.

It can mean either, depending on context.

The Spanish present tense is flexible. It can describe:

1. A habit or routine

   • Me pongo el delantal antes de empezar a cocinar.
   • I do that regularly.

2. Something happening now / in the immediate situation

   • I’m putting on the apron before I start cooking.

Without more context, both readings are possible. Very often, this kind of sentence sounds like a general routine.

Yes. Spanish allows some flexibility in word order.

For example:

• Me pongo el delantal antes de empezar a cocinar.
• Antes de empezar a cocinar, me pongo el delantal.

Both are correct. The second version puts more focus on the time phrase antes de empezar a cocinar.

The original order is very natural and straightforward.