Ponerse - to start

Question

Más bien diría que es tu hija.

Poniéndose roja

Y ahora porque te pusiste roja, que extraña eres-

Ah…Nunca lo entenderías-

It would be better to say she is your daughter. Starts turning red. And now because you started to turn red, how strange you are.... Ah.... You would never understand.

Isn't that right? Ponerse = to start like in, no te pongas a llorar. - Don't start crying? No me pongo a pensar en ella nunca jamás. I'm not going to start thinking about her every again. (of course only with feelings that can be hit with poner, not like starting the car or even like starting to cook, or anything like that just feelings)

Gracias.

Answer 1

(of course only with feelings that can be hit with poner, not like starting the car or even like starting to cook, or anything like that just feelings)

Well, if I think about it, it seems to be a good translation, actually.

me pongo a cocinar, I start cooking

Se ha puesto a llover. It has started to rain.

Se ha puesto triste. She has become/started to be sad.

Answer 2

ponerse a (inf) = to start (inf)ing
ponerse (adj) = to become (adj)

In this case, poniéndose roja = becoming red, or turning red as it is usually said in English.

Answer 3

Ponerse can also be translated as 'to become' and 'to get', which would fit with 'getting/becoming red' and 'now you became red' - or even just 'to be' - 'Now you're red'.

My personal way of looking at it and trying to understand is a bit like this....if I have no one to ask and I'm not near the pc....

• 'no te pongas así' or 'no te pongas a llorar', first off I try thinking literally and end up with

• 'Don't put yourself like that' and 'don't put yourself to crying'.

  Next I try to opt for a more natural translation which would turn them into

• 'Don't be like that' and 'Don't start crying'.

Is that what you do too?

Good questions as always.

Answer 4

start an opera or start a football game or "start spreading the news"

Well, you can start spreading the news. But, it's ponerse a + infinitive. You must start to do something. Not, start a car or start an opera (start + noun).

start + verb-ing / start + infinitive = ponserse + a + infinitive

But you can start "starting" the car with prender, or start "singing the opera" with cantar. - jeezzle, Jan 6, 2011

Or start "operating" if you will, which is how I tend to say "singing the opera". - jeezzle, Jan 6, 2011

Start the car = encender el coche. Ponerse a producir la opera (but not ponerse a la opera). - webdunce, Jan 6, 2011

Iniciar la opera? - webdunce, Jan 6, 2011

Maybe I'm wrong. - webdunce, Jan 6, 2011

Ponte a cantar la opera!!!!!! Deprisa no tenemos mucho tiempo antes de que los extraterrestes llegan. - jeezzle, Jan 6, 2011

Answer 5

Wait, so you can use ponerse a ..... to start something that is NOT a feeling like cooking? What about "me pongo a encender/prender el coche" or "No te pongas a caminar tan rápido". ? Gracias/

What does feeling like doing something have to do with "ponerse a"? It simply indicates the beginning of an action, even if it is not human:

Se puso a llover

Used with people, it suggests that the action is done with determination or certain effort.

Wait so are my sentences correct then that I wrote? So ponerSE A when used as "to start" is completely seperate from any "feelings" whatsoever so you can literally start an opera or start a football game or "start spreading the news"? Gracias. - jeezzle, Jan 6, 2011

Answer 6

Well, if I think about it, it seems to be a good translation, actually. me pongo a cocinar, I start cooking

Wait, so you can use ponerse a ..... to start something that is NOT a feeling like cooking? What about "me pongo a encender/prender el coche" or "No te pongas a caminar tan rápido". ? Gracias/

me pongo a encender el coche = I start to start the car... :-) - webdunce, Jan 6, 2011

I like prender. - jeezzle, Jan 6, 2011