Introduction
Omitir means “to omit”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Omitir means to omit or to leave out, and it is used for leaving out a word, a detail, a name or a step: omitir un detalle, omitir el nombre. It is a regular -ir verb. This page shows omitir in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Omito un detalle importante.” — I omit an important detail.
Omitir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how omitir is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use omitir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Omito un detalle importante.” — I omit an important detail.
“¿Omites el nombre en la lista?” — Do you omit the name on the list?
“Omite una palabra en la frase.” — He/she omits a word in the sentence.
“Nosotros omitimos un paso de la receta.” — We omit a step in the recipe.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show omitir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo omití un detalle importante.” — Yesterday, I omitted an important detail. (preterite)
“Antes, él omitía el nombre en la lista.” — Before, he used to omit the name on the list. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of omitir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros omitiremos una palabra en la frase.” — Tomorrow, we will omit a word in the sentence. (future)
“¿Tú has omitido un paso de la receta?” — Have you omitted a step in the recipe? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros omitís un detalle importante.” — You omit an important detail.
“Ellos omiten el nombre en la lista.” — They omit the name on the list.
“Yo omito una palabra en la frase.” — I omit a word in the sentence.
“Mi padre omite un paso de la receta.” — My father omits a step in the recipe.
Omitir in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how omitir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú omites el nombre en la lista?” — Do you omit the name on the list?
Pedro: “Sí, yo omito un detalle importante.” — Yes, I omit an important detail.
Marta: “Nosotros omitimos un paso de la receta.” — We omit a step in the recipe.
Pedro: “Y ellos omiten el nombre en la lista.” — And they omit the name on the list.
Marta: “Vosotros omitís una palabra en la frase.” — You omit a word in the sentence.
Pedro: “Sí, y él omite un detalle importante.” — Yes, and he omits an important detail.
A short paragraph
Omite un detalle importante, y nosotros omitimos un paso de la receta. Yo omito el nombre en la lista, y ellos omiten una palabra en la frase. Omitir is part of everyday life, because omit is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with omitir
These are the errors learners actually make with omitir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo omite un detalle importante.” Right: “Yo omito un detalle importante.” Why: The person matters: omite is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is omito. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo omito el nombre en la lista.” Right: “Ayer yo omití el nombre en la lista.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: omito is happening now, while omití is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating omitir and olvidar as identical in every context.” Right: “Omitir means to omit, while olvidar means to forget.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: omitir fits sentences such as Omito un detalle importante, while olvidar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy omitido el nombre en la lista.” Right: “Yo he omitido el nombre en la lista.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he omitido, has omitido, ha omitido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo omití una palabra en la frase todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo omitía una palabra en la frase todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (omitía), not the preterite. The preterite (omití) is for one finished action.
Quiz: omitir in use
Ten questions on omitir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ un detalle importante.” (You omit an important detail.)
- (a) omitís
- (b) omito
- (c) omites
Answer: omitís — The vosotros/as form of omitir in the present tense is omitís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el nombre en la lista.” (They omit the name on the list.)
- (a) omites
- (b) omiten
- (c) omito
Answer: omiten — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of omitir in the present tense is omiten.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ un detalle importante.” (Yesterday I omitted an important detail.)
- (a) omitiste
- (b) omitió
- (c) omití
Answer: omití — In the preterite, the yo form of omitir is omití.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ el nombre en la lista.” (Before, he used to omit the name on the list.)
- (a) omitía
- (b) omito
- (c) omitías
Answer: omitía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of omitir is omitía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ una palabra en la frase.” (Tomorrow we will omit a word in the sentence.)
- (a) omitirás
- (b) omitiremos
- (c) omitiré
Answer: omitiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of omitir is omitiremos.
6. What does omitir mean in English?
- (a) to omit
- (b) to obstruct
- (c) to forget
Answer: to omit — Omitir means “to omit”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo omite un detalle importante.
- (b) Ellos omite el nombre en la lista.
- (c) Yo omito un detalle importante.
Answer: Yo omito un detalle importante. — “Yo omito un detalle importante.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I omit an important detail.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre omite un paso de la receta.
- (b) Omito un detalle importante.
- (c) Omiten un detalle importante.
Answer: Omito un detalle importante. — “Omito un detalle importante.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of omitir in the present tense?
- (a) omito
- (b) omites
- (c) omitimos
Answer: omitimos — The nosotros form is omitimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros omitiremos una palabra en la frase.
- (b) Omito un detalle importante.
- (c) Ayer, yo omití un detalle importante.
Answer: Omito un detalle importante. — “Omito un detalle importante.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I omit an important detail' in Spanish?
Say 'Omito un detalle importante'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Omito un detalle importante todos los días'.
How do you say 'He omits the name on the list' in Spanish?
Say 'Él omite el nombre en la lista'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes omite.
What is the difference between omitir and olvidar?
Omitir means to omit, while olvidar means to forget. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use omitir when you mean to omit, as in 'Omito un detalle importante', and use olvidar for to forget.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of omitir — every tense of omitir in one place.
- Omitir in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on omitir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of omitir until they are automatic.