Spanish · A2 · Family moment
Make Room Together in Spanish
This guide helps parents teach children how to organize school and hobby items in Spanish. It focuses on the difference between placing an object in a location (action) and describing where an object is (state).
What you'll learn
- Give instructions for organizing school supplies and clothes
- Describe the location of items using the verb 'estar'
- Use prepositions like 'en' and 'sobre' to indicate placement
Spanish phrases for make room together
Pon tu carpeta de proyectos en el armario.
Put your project folder in the cupboard.
'Pon' is the command form of 'poner' (to put).
Tu carpeta de proyectos está en el armario.
Your project folder is in the cupboard.
'Está' is used here for location.
Pon tu ropa de deporte en la bolsa.
Put your sports clothes in the bag.
'Ropa de deporte' means sports clothes.
Entra en el centro juvenil.
Go into the youth centre.
'Entra' is a command meaning 'enter' or 'go into'.
Pon tu póster sobre la mesa.
Put your poster on the table.
'Sobre' specifically means 'on' or 'on top of'.
Tu póster está sobre la mesa.
Your poster is on the table.
Matches the action phrase but uses 'está' for the state of being.
Pon tu cuaderno en el banco.
Put your notebook on the bench.
'Banco' refers to a bench or a seat.
Pon tu tableta en el sofá.
Put your tablet on the sofa.
Spanish often uses 'en' for both 'in' and 'on' depending on context.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Carpeta de proyectos
Project folder
A common compound noun for school items.
Armario
Cupboard/Closet
Used for both kitchen cupboards and bedroom closets.
Bolsa
Bag
A general term for bags (grocery, sports, etc.).
Sobre
On / Over
Used when something is physically on top of a surface.
Action vs. Location (Poner vs. Estar)
In Spanish, we use the verb 'poner' (to put) for the action of moving something to a destination. We use 'estar' (to be) to describe the stationary location. Unlike some languages, the nouns following the prepositions 'en' or 'sobre' do not change their form based on movement.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Action (Destination) | Pon + [object] + en + [location] | Pon el libro en la mesa. |
| State (Location) | [object] + está + en + [location] | El libro está en la mesa. |
The Preposition 'En'
The word 'en' is very versatile. It can mean 'in', 'at', or 'on'. If you want to be more specific about being 'inside', use 'dentro de'. If you want to be specific about being 'on top of', use 'sobre'.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| General 'In/On' | en | En la caja (In the box) |
| Specific 'On' | sobre | Sobre la silla (On the chair) |
More examples
¿Dónde está mi cuaderno? Está en el armario.
Where is my notebook? It is in the cupboard.
A typical Q&A regarding location.
Por favor, pon la ropa de deporte en la bolsa azul.
Please, put the sports clothes in the blue bag.
Adding 'por favor' makes the command softer.