Eliminar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

eliminar means to eliminate, and it is one of those verbs that shows up everywhere once you start listening for it. It is a regular -ar verb verb, and this page puts it to work: real example sentences in several tenses, grouped by use, two short passages that show the verb in context, the mistakes learners make with it, a ten-question quiz and answers to common questions. If you only learn one sentence, make it «Yo elimino todos los días» — I eliminate every day. The rest of this page builds out from there, tense by tense, so you can use eliminar the way native speakers do — in the present for habits, in the past for finished events, and in the subjunctive after wishes and doubts.

Eliminar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

The present is where eliminar lives most of the time — routines, facts and what is happening now:

  1. Yo elimino todos los días. — I eliminate every day.
  2. Tú eliminas en el trabajo. — You eliminate at work.
  3. Él elimina con mi familia. — He eliminates with my family.
  4. Nosotros eliminamos por la mañana. — We eliminate in the morning.

Talking about the past

In the past, choose the preterite for a finished event and the imperfect for a habit or background:

  1. Ayer yo eliminé por la tarde. — Yesterday I eliminated in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo eliminaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to eliminate every day.
  3. La semana pasada él eliminó dos veces. — Last week He eliminated twice.

Plans and things already done

The future, the conditional and the present perfect round out the picture — plans, hypotheticals and recent events:

  1. Mañana yo eliminaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will eliminate without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo eliminaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would eliminate right now.
  3. Hoy yo he eliminado dos veces. — Today I have eliminated twice.

More everyday uses

The subjunctive, the imperative and the progressive cover wishes, commands and actions in progress:

  1. Espero que tú elimines pronto. — I hope You eliminate soon.
  2. ¡elimina, por favor! — Eliminate, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy eliminando. — Right now I am eliminating.

Eliminar in context

A short dialogue

Ana: «Yo elimino en el trabajo.» — I eliminate at work. Luis: «¡Qué bien! Yo elimino con mi familia.» — I eliminate with my family. Ana: «Mañana yo eliminaré sin falta.» — Tomorrow I will eliminate without fail. Luis: «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo eliminaría ahora mismo.» — If I had more time, I would eliminate right now. Ana: «Hoy yo he eliminado dos veces.» — Today I have eliminated twice.

A short paragraph

Ayer yo eliminé por la tarde. Antes, yo eliminaba todos los días. Hoy yo he eliminado dos veces. Mañana yo eliminaré sin falta.

Yesterday I eliminated in the afternoon. In the past, I used to eliminate every day. Today I have eliminated twice. Tomorrow I will eliminate without fail.

Common mistakes with eliminar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo eliminaba.

Right: Ayer yo eliminé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, eliminé. The imperfect eliminaba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.

2. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: Espero que tú eliminas.

Right: Espero que tú elimines.

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: elimines, not the indicative eliminas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No elimina.

Right: No elimines.

Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no elimines. The affirmative elimina can never follow no.

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo eliminar todos los días.

Right: Yo elimino todos los días.

The infinitive eliminar names the action; it never works as the main verb of a sentence. Conjugate it for the person: yo elimino.

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He eliminando.

Right: He eliminado.

The perfect tenses use haber plus the past participle: he eliminado. The gerund eliminando goes with estar for actions in progress («Estoy eliminando»), never with haber.

Quiz: eliminar in use

Test yourself on eliminar in use. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the vosotros/as form of eliminar in the present indicative?

- (a) elimino
- (b) elimina
- (c) eliminas
- (d) elimináis

2. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of eliminar in the preterite?

- (a) eliminaron
- (b) eliminé
- (c) eliminaste
- (d) eliminó

3. What is the yo form of eliminar in the future?

- (a) eliminaré
- (b) eliminarás
- (c) eliminaremos
- (d) eliminará

4. What is the tú form of eliminar in the present perfect?

- (a) ha eliminado
- (b) has eliminado
- (c) he eliminado
- (d) hemos eliminado

5. What is the vosotros/as form of eliminar in the imperfect?

- (a) eliminabais
- (b) eliminabas
- (c) eliminaba
- (d) eliminaba

6. What is the gerund of eliminar?

- (a) elimino
- (b) eliminado
- (c) eliminar
- (d) eliminando

7. What is the past participle of eliminar?

- (a) eliminar
- (b) eliminado
- (c) eliminé
- (d) eliminando

8. Which sentence uses eliminar correctly?

- (a) *Yo eliminar todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo elimino todos los días.* — I eliminate every day.
- (c) *Yo elimina todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo eliminas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses eliminar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo eliminé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I eliminated in the afternoon.
- (b) *Ayer yo elimino por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo eliminar por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo eliminaba por la tarde.*

10. What does eliminar mean?

- (a) to eliminate
- (b) to make
- (c) to praise
- (d) to raise

Answer key

1. (d) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of eliminar is elimináis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the preterite, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of eliminar is eliminaron. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the future, the yo form of eliminar is eliminaré. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (b) — In the present perfect, the tú form of eliminar is has eliminado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the imperfect, the vosotros/as form of eliminar is eliminabais. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — The gerund of eliminar is eliminando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy eliminando». 7. (b) — The past participle of eliminar is eliminado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he eliminado». 8. (b) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of eliminar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (a) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of eliminar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (a) — eliminar means «to eliminate».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I eliminate' in Spanish?

Say «Yo elimino todos los días». That is the present-tense yo form, and it is the sentence you will use most with this verb.

How do you say 'I eliminated' about yesterday?

Say «Ayer yo eliminé por la tarde». The preterite is the tense for a finished event: yesterday, last week, last night.

Is eliminar reflexive?

No — eliminar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo elimino, tú eliminas, él elimina. If you see a -se form of a similar verb, that is a different verb with its own meaning.

Which tense do learners find hardest with eliminar?

Most learners struggle with choosing between the preterite and the imperfect, not with the forms themselves. Use the preterite (eliminé) for a single finished event and the imperfect (eliminaba) for habits and background. After that, the subjunctive is the next step.

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