Learn Spanish (Spain): ¿Pones la radio, por favor? - Will you put the radio on, please?

Usually, Spanish words ending in -o are masculine, but radio is a very common exception! It is feminine because it is actually short for the longer word la radiodifusión (broadcasting). That is why we use la instead of el.

The translation says "Will you put", but isn't pones just the present tense "you put"?

Yes! In Spanish, it is very common to use the simple present tense to make a polite request or ask for a favor. Asking ¿Pones la radio? is a natural and friendly way to say "Will you put the radio on?" or "Can you put the radio on?".

Can I use poner to say "turn on" for other things too?

Yes. While poner literally means "to put", it is the go-to verb in Spain for putting on or turning on media and appliances like the TV (la tele), music (la música), or the washing machine (la lavadora).

Why isn't the word tú (you) in the Spanish sentence?

In Spanish, the ending of the verb tells you who is doing the action. Because pones ends in -s, it already means "you put" (informal). Adding tú is not necessary and is usually left out unless you want to add special emphasis.