Signification
To focus one's mind on something.
Contexte culturel
In Spain, you will hear 'prestar atención' much more frequently in news broadcasts and formal education than in some Latin American countries. In Mexico, 'poner atención' is the standard. In very informal settings, people might say 'ponerse las pilas' (to put in your batteries) to mean 'start paying attention and working hard'. The concept of 'atención' is linked to 'educación' (upbringing/manners). A child who doesn't 'poner atención' is often seen as 'maleducado' (rude/badly raised).
The 'A' Rule
Always remember to use 'a' after the phrase if you are mentioning what you are focusing on: 'Poner atención A algo'.
No 'Pagar'
Never use 'pagar'. It is the most obvious sign of an English speaker who hasn't studied collocations.
Signification
To focus one's mind on something.
The 'A' Rule
Always remember to use 'a' after the phrase if you are mentioning what you are focusing on: 'Poner atención A algo'.
No 'Pagar'
Never use 'pagar'. It is the most obvious sign of an English speaker who hasn't studied collocations.
Command Form
Use '¡Pon atención!' to sound like a native speaker when you want someone to look at something cool or important.
Eye Contact
In Spanish culture, 'poner atención' is often synonymous with looking the person in the eye.
Teste-toi
Choose the correct verb to complete the phrase.
Juan, por favor, _______ atención a la pizarra.
'Pon' is the informal imperative of 'poner', which is the correct verb for this collocation.
Fill in the missing preposition.
Ella pone atención ____ sus amigos.
The preposition 'a' is used to indicate the person or thing being focused on.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of 'poner'.
—¿Por qué no sabes la respuesta? —Porque no ______ atención ayer.
The context 'ayer' (yesterday) requires the preterite (past) tense.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Which phrase is best for a formal meeting?
Using 'Le pido' and the formal 'ponga' is appropriate for a professional setting.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Poner vs. Pagar
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesJuan, por favor, _______ atención a la pizarra.
'Pon' is the informal imperative of 'poner', which is the correct verb for this collocation.
Ella pone atención ____ sus amigos.
The preposition 'a' is used to indicate the person or thing being focused on.
—¿Por qué no sabes la respuesta? —Porque no ______ atención ayer.
The context 'ayer' (yesterday) requires the preterite (past) tense.
Which phrase is best for a formal meeting?
Using 'Le pido' and the formal 'ponga' is appropriate for a professional setting.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
6 questionsYes, it's perfectly correct and slightly more formal. You'll hear it often in Spain.
Yes, it is universally understood and used from Mexico to Argentina.
You say 'Estoy poniendo atención'.
'Poner atención' is the mental act of focusing. 'Atender' often means the physical act of serving or taking care of someone.
Both are used, but 'a' is much more common for people and specific objects, while 'en' is often used for abstract details.
It is feminine: 'la atención'.
Expressions liées
Prestar atención
synonymTo pay attention (formal)
Estar atento
similarTo be attentive
Fijarse
similarTo notice / to look closely
Hacer caso
builds onTo listen to / obey
