Quitar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

quitar means "to remove, to take away" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows quitar in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of quitar, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.

Example sentences with quitar

To remove

Quitar means to remove. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Yo quito la mesa — "I remove the table"
  2. Él quita los zapatos — "He removes my shoes"
  3. Yo quité el polvo de la mesa — "I removed the dust off the table"
  4. Yo quitaba la mesa — "I used to remove the table"
  5. Yo quitaré los zapatos — "I will remove my shoes"
  6. Yo he quitado el polvo de la mesa — "I have removed the dust off the table"

To take away

Quitar means to take away. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Él quitó el polvo de la mesa — "He removed the dust off the table"
  2. Él quitaba la mesa — "He used to remove the table"
  3. Tú quitarás los zapatos — "You will remove my shoes"
  4. Yo quitaría el polvo de la mesa — "I would remove the dust off the table"
  5. Yo había quitado la mesa — "I had removed the table"
  6. Nosotros quitamos los zapatos — "We remove my shoes"

Quitar in conversation

The two dialogues below show quitar in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú quitas la mesa? — "Do you remove the table?"
  • Sí, yo quito la mesa cada día. — "Yes, I remove the table every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú quitaste los zapatos? — "And yesterday? Did you remove my shoes?"
  • Sí, yo quité los zapatos. — "Yes, I removed my shoes."
  • Mañana, yo quitaré el polvo de la mesa también. — "Tomorrow, I will remove the dust off the table too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros quitáis la mesa? — "Do you remove the table?"
  • Sí, nosotros quitamos la mesa los fines de semana. — "Yes, We remove the table at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos quitan los zapatos? — "And them? Do they remove my shoes?"
  • Sí, ellos quitan los zapatos también. — "Yes, They remove my shoes too."
  • Mañana nosotros quitaremos los zapatos otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will remove my shoes again."

Useful phrases with quitar

Four patterns you can use with quitar in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a quitar la mesa. — "I am going to remove the table."
  • Quiero quitar los zapatos. — "I want to remove my shoes."
  • Me gusta quitar el polvo de la mesa. — "I like to remove the dust off the table."
  • Acabo de quitar la mesa. — "I have just removed the table."

Common mistakes with quitar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos quita la mesa.
  • Right: Ellos quitan la mesa.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form quitan. The singular quita belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo quité.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo quito.
  • Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.

Mistake 3

  • Wrong: Quitar es lo mismo que quitarse.
  • Right: Quitar means to remove; quitarse means to take off, to remove.
  • Why: Quitar and quitarse describe different things. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo quito.
  • Right: Ayer, yo quité.
  • Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (quité). The present (quito) is for habits and for now.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él quita la mesa.
  • Right: Espero que él quite la mesa.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: quite. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: quitar in use

Ten questions on quitar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the I form of quitar in the present tense?

  • (a) quitara
  • (b) quito
  • (c) habrían quitado
  • (d) quitarán

Answer: (b) quito. The I form in the present is quito.

2. What is the he / she form of quitar in the present tense?

  • (a) habíais quitado
  • (b) quita
  • (c) has quitado
  • (d) quite

Answer: (b) quita. The he / she form in the present is quita.

3. What is the he / she form of quitar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) has quitado
  • (b) quitó
  • (c) quitaba
  • (d) habríais quitado

Answer: (b) quitó. The he / she form in the preterite is quitó.

4. What is the I form of quitar in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) quitas
  • (b) quitamos
  • (c) habrán quitado
  • (d) quitaba

Answer: (d) quitaba. The I form in the imperfect is quitaba.

5. What is the I form of quitar in the future tense?

  • (a) han quitado
  • (b) quitaría
  • (c) quitaré
  • (d) quitarán

Answer: (c) quitaré. The I form in the future is quitaré.

6. What is the I form of quitar in the present perfect tense?

  • (a) quite
  • (b) he quitado
  • (c) ha quitado
  • (d) quitamos

Answer: (b) he quitado. The I form in the present perfect is he quitado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la mesa.

  • (a) quiten
  • (b) quitemos
  • (c) quites
  • (d) quite

Answer: (d) quite. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is quite.

8. What is the we form of quitar in the present tense?

  • (a) habrá quitado
  • (b) quitan
  • (c) quitamos
  • (d) quites

Answer: (c) quitamos. The we form in the present is quitamos.

9. What is the I form of quitar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) habría quitado
  • (b) quité
  • (c) quitabas
  • (d) habrás quitado

Answer: (b) quité. The I form in the preterite is quité.

10. What is the they form of quitar in the present tense?

  • (a) quitan
  • (b) había quitado
  • (c) quitasteis
  • (d) quitabas

Answer: (a) quitan. The they form in the present is quitan.

Frequently asked questions about quitar

Is quitar regular?

Yes. Quitar is a regular -ar verb: quito, quitas, quita. See the full conjugation of quitar for every tense.

What is the difference between quitar and quitarse?

Quitar means to remove. Quitarse means to take off, to remove. Use quitar when you mean to remove, as in Yo quito la mesa.

How do I say “I remove” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo quité los zapatos. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo quitaba el polvo de la mesa.

How can I practise quitar?

Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.

Related pages