Quitarse Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

quitarse means "to take off, to remove" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows quitarse 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 quitarse, 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 quitarse

To take off

Quitarse means to take off. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Yo me quito la chaqueta — "I take off my jacket"
  2. Él se quita los zapatos — "He takes off my shoes"
  3. Yo me quité el sombrero — "I took off my hat"
  4. Yo me quitaba la chaqueta — "I used to take off my jacket"
  5. Yo me quitaré los zapatos — "I will take off my shoes"
  6. Yo me he quitado el sombrero — "I have taken off my hat"

To remove

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

  1. Él se quitó el sombrero — "He took off my hat"
  2. Él se quitaba la chaqueta — "He used to take off my jacket"
  3. Tú te quitarás los zapatos — "You will take off my shoes"
  4. Yo me quitaría el sombrero — "I would take off my hat"
  5. Yo me había quitado la chaqueta — "I had taken off my jacket"
  6. Nosotros nos quitamos los zapatos — "We take off my shoes"

Quitarse in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú te quitas la chaqueta? — "Do you take off my jacket?"
  • Sí, yo me quito la chaqueta cada día. — "Yes, I take off my jacket every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú te quitaste los zapatos? — "And yesterday? Did you take off my shoes?"
  • Sí, yo me quité los zapatos. — "Yes, I took off my shoes."
  • Mañana, yo me quitaré el sombrero también. — "Tomorrow, I will take off my hat too."

Dialogue 2

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

Useful phrases with quitarse

Four patterns you can use with quitarse in any conversation. The reflexive pronoun attaches to the end of the infinitive: quitarme. Only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a quitarme la chaqueta. — "I am going to take off my jacket."
  • Quiero quitarme los zapatos. — "I want to take off my shoes."
  • Me gusta quitarme el sombrero. — "I like to take off my hat."
  • Acabo de quitarme la chaqueta. — "I have just taken off my jacket."

Common mistakes with quitarse in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Yo quito la chaqueta.
  • Right: Yo me quito la chaqueta.
  • Why: Quitarse is reflexive: the pronoun me is required. Without it, quito means something else, or nothing at all.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo me quité.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo me 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: Quitarse es lo mismo que quitar.
  • Right: Quitarse means to take off; quitar means to remove, to take away.
  • Why: Quitarse and quitar describe different things. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo me quito.
  • Right: Ayer, yo me 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 chaqueta.
  • Right: Espero que él se quite la chaqueta.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: quite. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: quitarse in use

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

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

  • (a) quite
  • (b) quito
  • (c) quitad
  • (d) quitaríais

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

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

  • (a) quitan
  • (b) quitará
  • (c) quita
  • (d) quitara

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

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

  • (a) quita
  • (b) quitaba
  • (c) han quitado
  • (d) quitó

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

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

  • (a) quitará
  • (b) quitarían
  • (c) habían quitado
  • (d) quitaba

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

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

  • (a) han quitado
  • (b) quitaré
  • (c) quitará
  • (d) habrán quitado

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

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

  • (a) quito
  • (b) quitéis
  • (c) habíais quitado
  • (d) he quitado

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

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él se ___ la chaqueta.

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

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

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

  • (a) quitaríamos
  • (b) quitamos
  • (c) quitara
  • (d) quitó

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

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

  • (a) habré quitado
  • (b) he quitado
  • (c) quité
  • (d) habrían quitado

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

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

  • (a) quitan
  • (b) habrá quitado
  • (c) habrían quitado
  • (d) habían quitado

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

Frequently asked questions about quitarse

Is quitarse reflexive?

Yes. The pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se go with the verb in every tense: me quito, te quitas, se quita. The tables show the verb forms; add the pronoun in front.

What is the difference between quitarse and quitar?

Quitarse means to take off. Quitar means to remove, to take away. Use quitarse when you mean to take off, as in Yo me quito la chaqueta.

How do I say “I take off” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo me quité los zapatos. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo me quitaba el sombrero.

How can I practise quitarse?

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.

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