Quitar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb quitar means to remove — it also means to take away, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Quitar is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of quitar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo quito la mesa — "I remove the table" — and in the preterite you say Yo quité los zapatos — "I removed my shoes". Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: quitar
- English: to remove, to take away
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: quitando
- Past participle: quitado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + quitado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for quitar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for quitar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Gerund: quitando · Past participle: quitado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quito |
| tú | quitas |
| él/ella/Ud. | quita |
| nosotros/as | quitamos |
| vosotros/as | quitáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | quitan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quité |
| tú | quitaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | quitó |
| nosotros/as | quitamos |
| vosotros/as | quitasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | quitaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quitaba |
| tú | quitabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | quitaba |
| nosotros/as | quitábamos |
| vosotros/as | quitabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | quitaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quitaré |
| tú | quitarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | quitará |
| nosotros/as | quitaremos |
| vosotros/as | quitaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | quitarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quitaría |
| tú | quitarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | quitaría |
| nosotros/as | quitaríamos |
| vosotros/as | quitaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | quitarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he quitado |
| tú | has quitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha quitado |
| nosotros/as | hemos quitado |
| vosotros/as | habéis quitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han quitado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había quitado |
| tú | habías quitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había quitado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos quitado |
| vosotros/as | habíais quitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían quitado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré quitado |
| tú | habrás quitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá quitado |
| nosotros/as | habremos quitado |
| vosotros/as | habréis quitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán quitado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría quitado |
| tú | habrías quitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría quitado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos quitado |
| vosotros/as | habríais quitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían quitado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quite |
| tú | quites |
| él/ella/Ud. | quite |
| nosotros/as | quitemos |
| vosotros/as | quitéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | quiten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quitara |
| tú | quitaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | quitara |
| nosotros/as | quitáramos |
| vosotros/as | quitarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | quitaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | quita |
| él/ella/Ud. | quite |
| nosotros/as | quitemos |
| vosotros/as | quitad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | quiten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | quites |
| él/ella/Ud. | quite |
| nosotros/as | quitemos |
| vosotros/as | quitéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | quiten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | quitando | with estar for the progressive: estoy quitando |
| Past participle | quitado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he quitado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For quitar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo quito los zapatos — "I remove my shoes". Learn the present indicative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For quitar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo quité el polvo de la mesa — "I removed the dust off the table". Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For quitar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo quitaba la mesa — "I used to remove the table". Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For quitar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo quitaré los zapatos — "I will remove my shoes". Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For quitar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo quitaría el polvo de la mesa — "I would remove the dust off the table". Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. It connects the past with the present moment. For quitar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he quitado la mesa — "I have removed the table". Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For quitar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había quitado los zapatos — "I had removed my shoes". Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For quitar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré quitado el polvo de la mesa — "I will have removed the dust off the table". Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. It looks back at a past that never happened. For quitar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría quitado la mesa — "I would have removed the table". Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For quitar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él quite los zapatos — "I hope he removes my shoes". Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For quitar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo quitara el polvo de la mesa, todo cambiaría — "If I removed the dust off the table, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For quitar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Quite la mesa — "Let him remove the table". Learn the imperative (affirmative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For quitar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No quites los zapatos — "Don't remove my shoes". Learn the imperative (negative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with quitar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo quito el polvo de la mesa — "I remove the dust off the table"
- Él quita la mesa — "He removes the table"
- Yo quité los zapatos — "I removed my shoes"
- Yo quitaba el polvo de la mesa — "I used to remove the dust off the table"
- Tú quitarás la mesa — "You will remove the table"
- Yo quitaría los zapatos — "I would remove my shoes"
- Él ha quitado el polvo de la mesa — "He has removed the dust off the table"
- Espero que él quite la mesa — "I hope he removes the table"
- Yo había quitado los zapatos — "I had removed my shoes"
- Ellos quitaban el polvo de la mesa — "They used to remove the dust off the table"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos quita la mesa — Right: Ellos quitan la mesa — Ellos needs the ellos form quitan. The singular quita belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo quito — Right: Ayer, yo quité — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to quité.
- Wrong: De niño, yo quité todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo quitaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (quitaba), not the preterite. The preterite (quité) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy quitado los zapatos. — Right: Yo he quitado los zapatos. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he quitado, has quitado, ha quitado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Treating quitar and quitarse as identical in every context. — Right: Quitar means to remove, while quitarse means to take off, to remove. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: quitar fits sentences such as Yo quito la mesa, while quitarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on quitar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la mesa. (present tense) A. habríais quitado B. quité C. quito D. habríamos quitado
Complete the sentence: Él ___ la mesa. (preterite) A. quita B. quitaste C. quitó D. quitaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la mesa. (imperfect) A. quitábamos B. quito C. habrías quitado D. quitaríamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ la mesa. (future) A. quitaríamos B. quitarían C. quite D. quitarás
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la mesa. (conditional) A. habrían quitado B. quitaría C. quitaron D. quitaras
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la mesa. (present subjunctive) A. quite B. quitaba C. habrán quitado D. he quitado
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la mesa, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. quitara B. habrás quitado C. quitan D. quitas
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la mesa. (present perfect) A. hemos quitado B. habréis quitado C. habrías quitado D. quitaban
Complete the command: No ___ la mesa. (negative imperative, tú) A. quites B. quitéis C. quite D. quitemos
Which is the gerund of quitar, used with estar for the progressive? A. quitaba B. quité C. quitado D. quitando
Answer key
- quito — The yo present tense of quitar is quito.
- quitó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of quitar is quitó.
- quitábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of quitar is quitábamos.
- quitarás — The tú future of quitar is quitarás.
- quitaría — The yo conditional of quitar is quitaría.
- quite — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of quitar is quite.
- quitara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of quitar is quitara.
- hemos quitado — The nosotros/as present perfect of quitar is hemos quitado.
- quites — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: quites.
- quitando — The gerund of quitar is quitando: estoy quitando. The participle quitado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does quitar mean in English?
Quitar means to remove, to take away. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo quito la mesa. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is quitar regular?
Yes. Quitar is a regular -ar verb: quito, quitas, quita. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the difference between quitar and quitarse?
Quitar means to remove, while quitarse means to take off, to remove. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use quitar when you mean to remove, as in Yo quito la mesa, and use quitarse for to take off, to remove. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I remove” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo quité los zapatos. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo quitaba el polvo de la mesa. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he quitado la mesa.
How do I practise quitar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the quitar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Quitar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for quitar.
- Quitar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for quitar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Quitarse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with quitar.
- Razonar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with quitar.
- Reaccionar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with quitar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.