Pongo el despertador a las seis.

Questions & Answers about Pongo el despertador a las seis.

Why is pongo used here when it usually means 'I put'?
While poner literally means 'to put', it is also the standard verb used for setting an alarm clock or turning on household appliances. So pongo el despertador translates naturally to 'I set the alarm clock'.
Is pongo a regular verb?
No, the verb poner has an irregular 'yo' (I) form in the present tense. Instead of a regular ending to make 'pono', it becomes pongo. The rest of the present tense forms are regular (pones, pone, etc.).
Why does it say a las seis instead of 'para las seis' if the translation is 'for six'?
In Spanish, when you talk about a specific time on the clock, you use the preposition a (at). Even though we say 'for six' in English when setting an alarm, Spanish treats it exactly like saying 'at six o'clock'.
Why is it las seis and not 'los' seis?
When telling time in Spanish, the numbers are always feminine because they secretly refer to the word las horas (the hours). Because of this, you use la for one o'clock (a la una) and las for all other hours (a las seis).

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