put
The Italian verb mettere means 'to put' or 'to place'.
verb
Meaning: to put
Ho messo il libro sulla scrivania.
I put the book on the desk.
Meaning: to wear
Oggi metto una maglietta blu.
Today I'm wearing a blue t-shirt.
Meaning: to place
Metti la chiave sul tavolo.
Put the key on the table.
Meaning: to set
Mettiamo l'orologio alla giusta ora.
Let's set the clock to the right time.
Meaning: to lay
Metterò il tappeto sul pavimento.
I will lay the carpet on the floor.
A1: Metto il libro sulla scrivania.
A1: I put the book on the desk.
A1: Metti la giacca prima di uscire.
A1: Put on your jacket before going out.
A1: Mettiamo i piatti sul tavolo per la cena.
A1: We put the plates on the table for dinner.
B1: Ho messo la chiave nella borsa.
B1: I put the key in the bag.
B2: Metterò il cibo nel frigorifero dopo averlo preparato.
B2: I will put the food in the fridge after preparing it.
B2: Se metti il tuo cuore in ciò che fai, avrai successo.
B2: If you put your heart into what you do, you will succeed.
C1: Avevo messo da parte dei soldi per le vacanze, ma li ho spesi tutti.
C1: I had set aside some money for the holidays, but I spent it all.
C1: Dopo aver messo in ordine la casa, mi sono rilassato.
C1: After tidying up the house, I relaxed.
C2: Avrei messo il mio nome sulla lista se avessi saputo che era necessario.
C2: I would have put my name on the list if I had known it was necessary.
Mettere is a very common and versatile verb in Italian, used in a wide range of contexts. It can be used to describe physically placing an object somewhere, as in 'Ho messo il libro sulla scrivania' (I put the book on the desk). It can also be used more figuratively, to describe putting something into action or effect, as in 'Devo mettere in pratica i miei piani' (I need to put my plans into action).
Mettere is a regular -ere verb, which means it follows a predictable conjugation pattern. In the present tense, for example, the stem is mett-, and the endings are -o, -i, -e, -iamo, -ete, and -ono. Some common irregular forms include metto (I put), metti (you put), and mettono (they put).
It's worth noting that mettere is often used in idiomatic expressions that don't necessarily have anything to do with physical placement. For example, 'mettere su' can mean 'to turn on' (as in 'metti su la musica' – turn on the music), while 'mettersi d'accordo' means 'to come to an agreement'. As with any language, context is key when interpreting the meaning of mettere in a given sentence.