Spanish word of the day: Ponerse las pilas

What does ponerse las pilas mean?

Ponerse las pilas (idiom) – Literally “to put in your batteries,” this popular Spanish idiom means to get energized, get your act together, or start working hard on something. It’s used when someone needs to stop procrastinating and start focusing or taking action.

Example sentences with ponerse las pilas

• Si quieres aprobar el examen, tienes que ponerte las pilas y estudiar más.
  📚 If you want to pass the exam, you have to get your act together and study more.

• El equipo se puso las pilas y ganó el partido en los últimos minutos.
  ⚽ The team got energized and won the match in the last minutes.

• Me voy a poner las pilas para terminar el proyecto a tiempo.
  💻 I’m going to get moving to finish the project on time.

This idiom uses the verb “ponerse”, if you need a refresher on
how to conjugate it, our conjugation tables can help.

Ponerse las pilas in context

You’ll hear ponerse las pilas in everyday conversations whenever someone needs a little push to focus or boost their energy. It’s a friendly, informal way to encourage action-whether it’s about work, studies, sports, or just getting through a busy day. It’s often used by friends, family, or coworkers who want to motivate each other without sounding too harsh.

This expression is great for those moments when you realize you’ve been slacking off or when you need to kick-start your productivity. If you want to sound natural in Spanish, use ponerse las pilas to talk about gearing up mentally and physically to tackle a challenge. It’s like telling yourself or someone else, “Come on, let’s get going!”