poner las cosas prioritarias primero
/poneɾ las kosas pɾjoɾitaɾjas pɾimeɾo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "put first things first" is translated into Spanish as poner las cosas prioritarias primero.
This phrase is used to express the idea of dealing with the most important tasks before attending to less urgent ones. While poner las cosas prioritarias primero is a direct translation, it is often more natural and common for Spanish speakers to use the phrase dar prioridad a lo más importante, which literally means "to give priority to the most important thing".
Which one should you use?
If you are giving a direct command to a single person in an informal context, you should use the imperative form pon las cosas prioritarias primero instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
When giving a direct command to a single person in an informal context, use the imperative form pon las cosas prioritarias primero instead of the infinitive poner las cosas prioritarias primero.
Did you know?
- To sound more like a native speaker when giving advice, you can use the rhythmic idiom lo primero es lo primero. This tautology is used far more frequently in conversation than the literal translation of 'put first things first'.
- In professional settings across the Spanish-speaking world, the phrase is often collapsed into a single verb, priorizar. This turns a complex arrangement of tasks into a one-word action.
- The word poner in this phrase is a linguistic relative of the English word 'post'. Both words trace their lineage back to the Latin 'ponere', which describes the act of placing or setting.
Examples in context
- Chicos, pongamos lo más importante primero en nuestro itinerario de viaje para asegurarnos de disfrutar al máximo.Guys, let's put the most important things first in our travel itinerary to ensure we enjoy it to the fullest.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are planning their workday.
- DanielTenemos mucho trabajo hoy, Sofía.We have a lot of work today, Sofía.
- SofíaSí, hay que poner las cosas prioritarias primero.Yes, we have to put first things first.
- Daniel¿Empezamos por el informe del cliente?Shall we start with the client's report?
- SofíaExacto, eso es lo más urgente.Exactly, that is the most urgent thing.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries las, poner, primero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
