Introduction

Quitarse means “to take off”, and this page covers exactly one thing: quitarse in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for quitarse, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about quitarse in the present. Quitarse in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo me quito la chaqueta” — "I take off my jacket". Everything on this page uses the forms of quitarse exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Quitarse in the Present Tense — full table

Person Pronoun Form
yo me quito
tú te quitas
él/ella/Ud. se quita
nosotros/as nos quitamos
vosotros/as os quitáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se quitan

Gerund: quitando · Past participle: quitado

The gerund is quitando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Me estoy quitando” means the action of quitarse is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is quitado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “me he quitado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how quitarse is used.

How the present of quitarse is formed

Quitarse is a regular -ar, reflexive verb in the present. Take the stem quit and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving quito, quitas, quita, quitamos, quitáis, quitan. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, quitáis, carries an accent on the á, é or í. Because quitarse is reflexive, every form takes the matching pronoun in front: me quito, te quitas, se quita. The pronoun is part of the verb, not an optional extra. The present of quitarse is fully regular, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form quitáis carries a written accent. Second, the yo form quito is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of quitarse

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use quitarse in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens todos los días, cada semana or los fines de semana, quitarse goes in the present. Example: “Yo me quito los zapatos” — "I take off my shoes".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about quitarse does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él se quita el sombrero” — "He takes off my hat".

3. What is happening now

The present also covers what is happening at this very moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English would use the -ing form, so me quito can mean both "I take off" and "I am taking off". Example: “Yo me quito la chaqueta” — "I take off my jacket".

4. Timetables and fixed plans

For a fixed plan or a timetable, Spanish uses the present: the plan is already decided, so the present states it as a fact. This is common with travel, lessons and appointments. Example: “Nosotros nos quitamos los zapatos” — "We take off my shoes".

5. Telling a story

Stories are sometimes told in the present to make them feel immediate, even when they happened in the past. This is the historical present, and it works with quitarse just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él se quita el sombrero” — "He takes off my hat".

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens regularly or what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo me quito la chaqueta” — "I take off my jacket".

  • Preterite: “Yo me quité la chaqueta” — "I took off my jacket".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Él se quita los zapatos” — "He takes off my shoes".

  • Preterite: “Él se quitó los zapatos” — "He took off my shoes".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros nos quitamos el sombrero” — "We take off my hat".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros nos quitamos el sombrero” — "We took off my hat".

  • The two sentences look identical: nos quitamos is the same in the present and the preterite. Only the time words around it tell you which tense is meant.

Example sentences: quitarse in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Yo me quito los zapatos” — "I take off my shoes"

  2. “Tú te quitas el sombrero” — "You take off my hat"

  3. “Él se quita la chaqueta” — "He takes off my jacket"

  4. “Nosotros nos quitamos los zapatos” — "We take off my shoes"

  5. “Vosotros os quitáis el sombrero” — "You take off my hat"

  6. “Ellos se quitan la chaqueta” — "They take off my jacket"

  7. “Yo me quito los zapatos” — "I take off my shoes"

  8. “Él se quita el sombrero” — "He takes off my hat"

Common mistakes with quitarse in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

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

  • Wrong: “Todos los días, yo me quité” Right: “Todos los días, yo me quito” Why: Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. The preterite (quité) is for one finished action, not for routines.

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

  • Wrong: “Ayer, yo me quito” Right: “Ayer, yo me quité” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to quité.

Quiz: quitarse in the present

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

1. Complete the sentence: “Yo me ___ el sombrero.” (yo form)

A. quitas B. quito C. quita D. quitáis

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú te ___ la chaqueta.” (tú form)

A. quitáis B. quita C. quitamos D. quitas

3. Complete the sentence: “Él se ___ los zapatos.” (él/ella/Ud. form)

A. quitas B. quitáis C. quitan D. quita

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros nos ___ el sombrero.” (nosotros/as form)

A. quitamos B. quitas C. quitan D. quita

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros os ___ la chaqueta.” (vosotros/as form)

A. quita B. quitan C. quitáis D. quitas

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos se ___ los zapatos.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. quitas B. quitan C. quita D. quito

7. Which time expression points to the present tense?

A. todos los días B. ayer C. la semana pasada D. anoche

8. Which sentence is correct?

A. Todos los días, yo me quito B. Todos los días, yo me quité

Answer key

  1. quito — The yo present of quitarse is quito.
  2. quitas — The tú present of quitarse is quitas.
  3. quita — The él/ella/Ud. present of quitarse is quita.
  4. quitamos — The nosotros/as present of quitarse is quitamos.
  5. quitáis — The vosotros/as present of quitarse is quitáis.
  6. quitan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of quitarse is quitan.
  7. todos los días — Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. Ayer, la semana pasada and anoche all point to the preterite.
  8. Todos los días, yo me quito — Todos los días is a habit, so the present is correct. The preterite is for one finished action.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use the present of quitarse?

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening now. For example: Yo me quito la chaqueta. If the action is a habit or happening now, the present is the right choice.

How is the present of quitarse formed?

Take the stem quit- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving quito, quitas, quita, quitamos, quitáis, quitan.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite for quitarse?

The present (quito) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (quité) counts one finished action in the past. Compare the two sentences in the contrast section above: the verb is the same, only the tense changes.

How can I practise quitarse in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — quito, quitas, quita, quitamos, quitáis, quitan — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the quitarse examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of quitarse when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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